On Intersectionality: Essential Writings

The book, which also includes a sweeping new introduction by the author, reveals the trajectory of the subject as it has evolved over the course of two decades and radically changed the face of social justice activism. Over the past twenty years the concept of “intersectionality,” first coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, has emerged as an influential approach to understanding discrimination and exclusion in our society, whose members can experience bias in multiple ways—as a consequence of race, gender, sexual orientation, or a combination of these. And as the Washington Post reported recently, “the term has been used by social activists as both a rallying cry for more expansive progressive movements and a chastisement for their limitations.” As a new wave of activism seeks to challenge entrenched discrimination in America, few concepts have acquired such relevance or been so widely debated.In this first-ever collection of Crenshaw’s writing, readers will find the key essays and articles that have defined the concept of intersectionality and made Crenshaw a legal superstar. For anyo

Praise for Kimberlé Crenshaw:"Kimberlé Crenshaw belongs at the center of public conversationImagine the world we might have if we all took a few moments to engage her ideas."Melissa Harris-Perry, MSNBC"Her name and her work have become an introductory point for feminists of all stripes."New Statesman"Considering its recent prominence, it’s surprising to realize that the term intersectionality has been around only since 1989: It was coined by legal scholar and critical theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw."The Washington Post"The theorist who first coined intersectionality as a political framework."Salon"It's now been over two decades since legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw wrote her original paper coining the term 'intersectionality' and mainstream feminism is still in the throes of a massive storm around it."The Guardian