The urgency of intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw | TED

Summary

The speaker uses an interactive exercise to highlight the under-acknowledged issue of police violence against black women, emphasizing the concept of 'intersectionality'. By revealing the disparity in public awareness between well-known male victims and lesser-known female victims of police brutality, the talk challenges the audience to recognize and address the unique challenges faced by black women at the intersection of race and gender.

Takeaways

• 📝 The speaker introduces an interactive exercise to highlight the disparity in recognition of police violence victims based on gender.
• 👥 The audience is asked to stand and remain standing only if they recognize a series of names, revealing a significant lack of awareness regarding black women victims of police violence.
• 🔍 The exercise demonstrates that while police violence against African-Americans and violence against women are discussed, the intersection of these issues is often overlooked.
• 🌐 The speaker has conducted this exercise with various groups, including women's rights organizations, civil rights groups, professors, students, psychologists, sociologists, and even progressive members of Congress, with similar results.
• 🏛 The concept of 'intersectionality' is introduced as a framework to understand how overlapping social problems like racism and sexism create multiple levels of injustice.
• 👩‍💼 The term 'intersectionality' originated from the case of Emma DeGraffenreid, an African-American woman who faced discrimination based on both her race and gender but was denied legal recourse.
• 🤔 The speaker emphasizes the importance of frames in shaping our understanding and response to social issues, noting that without appropriate frames, certain victims' stories are not acknowledged or addressed.
• 🚑 The analogy of an intersection is used to illustrate how societal structures and policies can converge to create unique challenges for marginalized individuals like Emma DeGraffenreid.
• 👮‍♀️ The script discusses the reality of police violence against black women, detailing the various circumstances in which they have been killed, which are often not as widely recognized or discussed.
• 📢 The African-American Policy Forum's initiative to 'say her name' is mentioned as a starting point to bring attention to the lives and experiences of black women affected by police violence.
• 💪 The speaker calls for action beyond just acknowledging the names, urging the audience to bear witness to the realities faced by black women and to work towards change and transformation.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the exercise involving the naming of individuals in the script?

The exercise aims to highlight the disparity in recognition and awareness of police violence victims based on gender, showing that black women victims are often overlooked.

Why does the speaker mention the names of Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray?

These names are mentioned to represent African-American individuals who have been killed by the police and are widely recognized, setting a contrast to the lesser-known names of black women victims that follow.

What term does the speaker introduce to describe the overlapping of social problems like racism and sexism?

The term introduced is 'intersectionality,' which deals with the fact that social justice problems often overlap, creating multiple levels of social injustice.

Who was Emma DeGraffenreid, and why is her story significant in the context of intersectionality?

Emma DeGraffenreid was an African-American woman whose claim of race and gender discrimination was dismissed by a judge. Her story is significant because it illustrates the concept of intersectionality and the need for legal recognition of double discrimination.

What is the 'framing problem' the speaker refers to in the context of Emma DeGraffenreid's case?

The framing problem refers to the court's inability or unwillingness to see gender and race discrimination as interconnected issues, thus failing to recognize the unique discrimination faced by African-American women.

Why does the speaker argue that a simple approach to social justice, considering race and gender separately, is insufficient?

The speaker argues that a simple approach is insufficient because it overlooks the unique challenges faced by individuals who belong to multiple marginalized groups, such as black women, and fails to address the compounded effects of intersecting forms of discrimination.

What is the significance of the term 'intersectionality' in addressing social justice issues?

The term 'intersectionality' is significant because it provides a framework for understanding how different forms of discrimination can intersect and compound, leading to unique challenges that are not addressed by considering race and gender separately.

What is the initiative 'Say Her Name' and what does it aim to achieve?

'Say Her Name' is an initiative by the African-American Policy Forum that aims to raise awareness about police violence against black women by ensuring their names and stories are recognized and remembered.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of bearing witness to the violence faced by black women?

The speaker emphasizes this to move from mere recognition to action, encouraging the audience to confront the painful realities of violence against black women and to work towards transformation and justice.

What does the speaker suggest as a collective action to honor the memory of black women victims of police violence?

The speaker suggests a collective action of saying the names of black women victims aloud during a roll call, as a symbolic act of recognition, support, and commitment to change.

How does the speaker describe the various contexts in which black women have been killed by the police?

The speaker describes a wide range of contexts, including in their homes, cars, on the street, and during various everyday activities, emphasizing the pervasive nature of the violence.