Intersectionality. The Combahee River Collective, a black feminist lesbian organization, released the Combahee River Collective Statement in 1978 to define and encourage black feminism. By engaging in this activity, workshop participants will be equipped to use the activity themselves. For my subjects, I like to use bell hooks theory of the imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. Crenshaw: Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. Well before the term intersectionality was coined, we could still see examples of intersectional activism in the real world. 'Intersectionality' refers to the ways in which different aspects of a person's identity can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation. At the end of the group discussions, the notes they have written on their poster sheets can be pinned up around the room. Check out our facilitator guide to help you have a successful first go. She developed the concept of intersectionality in order to address the problems created when we treat race and gender as mutually exclusive. Crenshaw claimed that a persons race, gender, and sexuality all intersectedand the discrimination an individual faced was often more complex and profound than any single part of their identity (such as race or gender) could explain. Vol.10(2), pp.303-312. Black women, faced with multiple forms of oppression, only make $0.64. Ready to jump in? So, her products subverted the norm and was designed directly for women of color. Intersectionality is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages. Below is an excerpt from the interview. We see this in how people are uncomfortable naming another persons perceived race or asking for someones preferred pronouns. He also speaks out against ableism in the LGBT community, such as troubles hes had getting into bars. Disclaimer terms regarding published materials: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work represents a historical function and is a practicing science. When I was formerly a member of Building the Anti-Racist Classroom (BARC), we applied this practice at the start of every workshop. When we say it has been appropriated, we are referring to the fact that when this term first came out, folks. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Here is our list of the most fun icebreaker games that let your team have a great time, while also providing shared experiences to facilitate future interactions. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. The worksheet prompts students to fill in various social identities (such as race, gender, sex, ability disability, sexual orientation, etc.) Petito went missing during a road trip with her fiance, leading to worldwide media attention while the police hunted down her fiance. Translating this into practice might mean designing ways for students to articulate to themselves and others their intersecting identities, and explaining to students why this is important, namely that it helps establish community and may mitigate stereotyping based on racial, ethnic, gendered, and other kinds of stereotypes, increasing the quality of communication so that learning can happen. ", Diversity and Inclusion Resources for Curricula. Learning about social justice prepares students to understand and challenge power and oppression in the world. Colorado School of Mines (LSS). Madam Walker produced a range of cosmetics that were specifically made for black women. "Intersectionality is simply about how certain aspects of who you are will increase your access to the good things or your exposure to the bad things in life. This day of celebration and learning is being hosted in partnership with the School for Cultural and Social Transformation, which recently began a three-year focus on intersectionality funded by the Mellon Foundation. Intersection Identity and Privilege: Crossing the Line Recap and Closing Activity Closing and Recommended Resources Introduction This toolkit is meant for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level. Other students visibly bristle around him. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. Crenshaw, K. (1989). As Black women we see Black feminism as the logical political movement to combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions that all women of color face. They fought not only for representation in both the Civil Rights and feminist movements, but also for recognition as black women, rather than just black or just women. This empty space (the dotted line box) is the future home for a yet-to-be-released birthday present as part of our 5th Birthday Extravaganza. While many who championed intersectionality early on were African American women, the theory has proven necessary to understanding a wide range of difference, including individuals sexual orientation, age, class, disability, and more. This stereotype is unsupported by any data, and yet it is a trope rolled out during times of moral panic stirred up by media or ideologues. Yet intersectionality remains a difficult, misunderstood, and sometimes controversial concept. This is a coin termed to describe the medias hyperfocus on white women who go missing. Asian American and Pacific Islander Stereotypes, Asian American and Pacific Islanders and Cancer, Building Renewing and Strengthening Existing Relationships: 8 Tips for Fostering a Safe Workplace for SGM Co-Workers, Discover and Connect with Your Peers Through Employee Resource Groups, Dr. Martin Luther Kings Impact on the Field of Science, EDI Director: EDI Observes Womens History Month, EDI Honors 2015 Champions for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Educating Managers: 10 Interpersonal Skills to Prevent Retaliation, Educating Managers: Keys to Success in Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation Process, Embracing Who We Are Reflections of an Asian-American Child of Deaf Adults, Enhancing Possibility Through Accessibility. Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI)offers services, resources, and guidance to enhance diversity university-wide and foster a culture of equity and inclusionfor the CU Denver Campus. It encourages a well-rounded inquiry into disadvantage that does not box itself into just one line of inquiry. Today the basic principles of intersectionality are widely acceptedeven by critics of the termand the concept has expanded to acknowledge a wider array of identity factors, including citizenship status, indigeneity, age, spirituality or religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status or class. Intersectionality theory examines how matrices of power and interlocking structures of oppression shape and influence people's multiple identities. They are especially helpful when you have new group members because they can increase group cohesion & camaraderie, and they help group members get to know each other better. 303-273-3000 / 800-446-9488, Admissions & Financial Aid My overarching aim is to inspire my students to become critically reflexive lifelong learners who aspire to social transformation. This combo activity invites participants to deeply engage with privilege and segues into a conversation about the coming out process. provides sustained, comprehensive programs across all educational levels to promote access and increase numbers of underrepresented populations in healthcare, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and research professions. Identity Signs This activity focuses on what are our salient identities in particular circumstances. Intersectional feminism is a thought-provoking and rewarding theory to teach. Intersectionality is a framework or lens used to analyze or discuss multiple aspects of individual identity (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.) I have collated slides from my classes that you may use to run this activity on intersectional feminism. I have never. By Olena Hankivsky, 2014. (2016). We encourage all members to seek ways to incorporate inclusive practices into their branches and daily life. What are Gender Pronouns? As you do, you will likely deepen your understanding of your own identity and thesubjectsyou care about most. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. After many years of experimentation, my personal experience suggests that its best to move students to a self-reflection activity that they can do independently and privately first. Learning & Skill Development Opportunities, Progress on 8 Promises to BIPOC Members of our Community, Report incidents of Bias, Discrimination & Harassment. The families of the women often reject the findings of the police and complain about the over-representation of indigenous women in unresolved missing person cases. In Canada, indigenous people have been raising the alarm about the apparent lack of police or government interest in the high rates of missing indigenous women. Credit:Sara D. Anderson, Karissa Stolen, and Paulina Venzor, 2020, Office of Equity at the University of Colorado Denver and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Assuming that all women have vaginas or are defined by their bodies is an oversimplification that erases the experiences of those who exist beyond the gender binary. Ill print out a copy of each case to distribute to the student groups. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/669608. Its basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other. Monture faced discrimination both for her gender and Indigenous status. Parents The theory of those systems became known as intersectionality, a term popularized by law professor Kimberl Crenshaw. Whats often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts.". Helena loves good food, travel, and time alone. Furthermore, if she attended a postsecondary institution, her official status as an Indigenous person would be stripped from her. As Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie phrased it, there is a danger of the single story. Instructors should be aware of the histories of institutional racism, sexism, ableism and ageism that have resulted in extremely challenging educational climates for BIPOC students, in particular female, trans, and queer BIPOC students and BIPOC students who have a disability. However, we must recognize these identities as a way to step beyond our assumptions that our experience is common. ", Lowe Columbia College, Speech 114 course, "a questionnaire or survey that's kind of like a 'personality quiz. They were considered an unusual voice who used social media, blogs, and YouTube to get around mainstream medias gatekeeping. Practicing intersectionality in sociological research: A critical analysis of inclusions, interactions, and institutions in the study of inequalities*. The Safe Zone Project is a free online resource for powerful, effective LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops, Join over 25,000 Educators in 100 Countries. For clarification on your employee status, consult the. When a group does not know each other well, it may be difficult for people to start talking. Rosa Parks was a black woman who took a stand against segregation in the United States. In this interview, Kimberl Crenshaw also explained how intersectionality does not fetishize victimization, but merely explains how you have access to, or you are denied access to, certain things in life. Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. Fostering Allyship Across Marginalized Groups, From the EDI Director: EDI 2019 Black History Month Message, From the EDI Director: EDI 2019 Womens History Month Message, From the NIH Director: 2017 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, From the NIH Director: NIH 2019 Black History Month, From the NIH Director: NIH 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Allow each group to share their case with the rest of the class and present the highlights of their analysis. Ask students to apply Mari Matsudas practice of asking the other question: When I see something that looks racist, I ask, Where is the patriarchy in this? When I see something that looks sexist, I ask, Where is the heterosexism in this? When I see something that looks homophobic, I ask, Where are the class interests in this? Working in coalition forces us to look for both the obvious and non-obvious relationships of domination, helping us to realize that no form of subordination ever stands alone. Intersectionality is a tool that allows us to think about systemic oppression in a broad context and emphasizes individual's experiences in an effort to understand privilege and power. Intersectionality refers to how our multiple identities change how we experience the world, and what that means as we work to build inclusive schools, organizations, workplaces and communities." PBS Activities focused on Intersectionality Social Justice Toolbox - Classroom Activities on the topic of Intersectionality Understanding the terminology used in equity work is a useful tool for people expanding their knowledge on the issues they care about. Missing and Indigenous Women. Legal scholar Kimberl Crenshaws influential concept of intersectionality, in brief, recognizes that each person carries a number of identifications that shape their social experience of oppression or marginalization, and that policies and laws are inadequately designed to uphold the rights of people who have multiple oppression. Get to know your colleagues and compare your similarities and differences. If you are meeting with a local LGBTQ+ organization, is there representation of LGBTQ+ people of color? We are all functions of the system that we live in; a system that has taught us how to think about ourselves and others, how to interact with others, and how to understand what is expected of us. These behaviors are overlooked compared to the supposedly typical ADHD behaviors that boys tend to exhibit more commonly, like disruptiveness and interrupting others in class. It gives students a framework and vocabulary to identify their intersecting privileges and oppressions. Bose, C. (2012). Depending on the level of the class and the centrality of intersectionality to the subject, I set a combination of the following pre-class preparatory readings and videos: Related: 5 Must-Read Intersectional Feminist Books for Beginners. Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race. In addition to the resources provided below, you can alsoreview additional terminology interconnected with Intersectionality here. "Once they've grown up, African American children are more likely than their white counterparts to backslide into a lower economic group. The term WASP stands for white Anglo-Saxon protestant. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI)offers services, resources, and guidance to enhance diversity university-wide and foster a culture of equity and inclusion, The Office of Inclusion and Outreach (OIO). The judges believed that because black men had jobs and white women had jobs with their respective employers, then the employers could not discriminate against black women. Im committed to rigorous research-led subject content that grounds learning in students lived experiences and everyday practice. Crenshaw expanded on the Collectives theory, stating that in order to understand the oppression of black women, it is necessary to look at the intersection of blackness and womanhood. The OE is not responsible for the accuracy, legality, or content of the resources above. Intersectionality, in particular, is a term that many people and organizations assert an importance for, but that others are unclear on. You may have heard after the Womens March that many trans folks and allies felt uncomfortable with the vagina-centric themes of the march. Its not identity politics on steroids. All rights reserved. At the end of the post, youll have the option to sign up for my newsletter and receive a copy of my lecture slides with all the principles, activity templates, and extra disclaimers to adapt and use in your classes. Is your work toward social equity intersectional? For example, it was used as an argument against gay hate crime laws. We're going to be giving away stickers, books, and other super-secret prizes to a lucky person who guesses correctly. Framing Questions on Intersectionality A Resource provided by the US Human Rights Network and the Rutgers Center for Women's Global Leadership1 Watch the video below to learn more about how privilege and oppression, through an intersectional perspective, overlap and reinforce each other, then answer the question after. CU Denver and Auraria Campus are CLOSED on Wednesday - January 18, 2023. This stance sparked a nation-wide debate about segregation and inequality in the United States. Theres nothing new about defenders of the status quo criticizing those who are demanding that injustices be addressed. Instead, our identities are fluid. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. When it was introduced into academia, it was seen as a well-needed critique of the failure of race, gender, and class theorists to explore how disadvantage crosses identity factors and compounds upon itself. Scholars today use intersectionality to understand the differences between the experiences of diverse groups in higher education and the workforce. Neighbors College of Engineering, Design and Computing, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Violence, & Stalking. Interviewer (Katy Steinmetz): "You introducedintersectionalitymore than 30 years ago. The New Press.Nash, J. C. (2008). A greater proportion of girls than boys with ADHD and ADD exhibit behaviors like chattiness, daydreaming, and shyness. Icebreakers are also fun- when group members are laughing and having a good time, they feel more comfortable. Critical to educating for social justice is to set expectations for your students that you will be having difficult discussions and to establish a principled space with them from the outset of the school term. And Antiracist Politics Indigenous person would be stripped from her more comfortable,. Lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects and everyday.. Crime laws articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of the.! Higher education and the workforce institution, her products subverted the norm and was designed directly for of! Always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher it encourages a well-rounded inquiry into disadvantage that not! Any information on this site with their course teacher segues into a conversation the. 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Demanding that injustices be addressed with privilege and segues into a lower economic group LGBTQ+...

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