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Crewnshaw #3

     Kimberlé Crenshaw stresses that intersectionality is an essesntial concept that society needs to understand and accept. It refers to how different parts of a person’s identity, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation overlap and interact with each other. When we focus on only one aspect of a person’s identity, we miss the bigger picture of their lived experience. To explain this, Crenshaw uses the example of a traffic intersection where multiple roads meet. Each road represents a different part of a person’s identity, and where they all come together shows the full complexity of who they are. For example, one road could symbolize gender, while another represents race. These identities do not exist separately, but rather they are intertwined and influence one another.

    Crenshaw also highlights how the law often fails to recognize these overlapping identities, which can result in injustice.  She shares the story of Emma DeGraffenreid, an African American woman who was denied a job and believed her combined identity as both a woman and Black person played a role in the decision. However, the court didn’t understand the intersection of these identities and dismissed her case, arguing that the company hired both women and African Americans, but not considering the unique challenges faced by African American women. Crenshaw argues that if we don’t recognize intersectionality, we can’t effectively address the issues it creates. She warns that as long as the legal system ignores these complex identities, it will continue to fail those most in need of protection. During her Ted Talk she asked the audidence about their knowledge of victims of police brutality, half of the group knew the first names she called out and only four people knew the second set of names. The difference between the two sets of names were their genders, the first group were male and the second were female. Crenshaw calls for a deeper awareness of this issue, urging society to acknowledge the full complexity of people’s identities in order to bring about real change.

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