Anti-Racism Resources

THE INTERSECTION OF GENDER & RACE

in·​ter·​sec·​tion·​al·​i·​ty:

the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups

Intersectionality is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or social problem as affected by a number of discriminations and disadvantages. It takes into account people’s overlapping identities and experiences in order to understand the complexity of prejudices they face.

In other words, intersectional theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression: their race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers. Intersectionality recognizes that identity markers (e.g. “woman” and “black”) do not exist independently of each other, and that each informs the others, often creating a complex convergence of oppression. For instance, a black man and a white woman make $0.74 and $0.78 to a white man’s dollar, respectively. Black women, faced with multiple forms of oppression, only make $0.64. Understanding intersectionality is essential to combatting the interwoven prejudices people face in their daily lives.

“Intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and legal scholar. In a paper for the University of Chicago Legal Forum, Crenshaw wrote that traditional feminist ideas and antiracist policies exclude Black women because they face overlapping discrimination unique to them. “Because the intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and sexism, any analysis that does not take intersectionality into account cannot sufficiently address the particular manner in which Black women are subordinated,” she wrote in the paper.

Articles:

• Intersectional feminism: what it means and why it matters right now UN Women
• What’s Intersectionality? Let These Scholars Explain the Theory and Its History Time
• “The Reckoning Will Be Incomplete Without Black Women and Girls” The Atlantic
• “What will it take for America to understand the pain of black women?” The Lily
• “Why Are Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence?” Time
• “After Breonna Taylor’s death, a look at other black women killed during police encounters” ABC News
• “What Is Intersectionality and What Does It Have to Do with Me?” YW Boston
• “The Intersectionality Wars” by Jane Coaston
• “5 Reasons Intersectionality Matters, Because Feminism Cannot Be Inclusive Without It” by Suzannah Weiss
• “In Philanthropy, Race Is Still a Factor in Who Gets What, Study Shows” – The New York Times
• “The Economic Insecurity of Black Breadwinner Moms Affects Us All” – Fast Company
• “Let’s Get Real About Why Women of Color Are So Tired” – Zora
• “Gender Equity Is Useless Without Racial Equity” – Forbes

Podcasts & Videos:

• Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Intersectionality? – video
• The Urgency of Intersectionality – TED Talk with Kimberlé Crenshaw
• What Does ‘Hood Feminism’ Mean for a Pandemic? Code Switch podcast
• “Black Feminism and the Movement for Black Lives,” a discussion with Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, and Charlene Carruthers

Books:

• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
• Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis
• List of Womanism Books
• Feminist Books by Women of Color

For Black women:

• Healing from the Effects of Internalized Oppression University of Kansas
• Surviving Oppression; Healing Oppression by Vanissar Tarakali
• “This Is What Black Burnout Feels Like” by Tiana Clark
• How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
• “No One Should Have to Ignore Their Grief, Yet It’s Long Been Expected of People of Color” by Nadia Owusu
• Therapy for Black Girls—Online space dedicated to the mental wellness of Black women and girls

CONFRONTING BIAS & PRIVILEGE

Resources & training

• Gender By Us® – intersectional gender bias training from The Women’s Fund
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test
• Privilege checklist
• The Psychology of Racial Bias – video series

THE GENDER & RACIAL WEALTH GAP

Resources & reading

• Assets for Equity – 2019 report on the gender and racial wealth gap by The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio
  • Read the report.
  • Read the snapshot.
  • Read about policy solutions.
• Racial wealth audit – measures how policies shape the racial wealth gap
• Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap—What it Is, Why it Matters, and What Can Be Done About It – report from Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap
• On the Margins: Economic Security for Women of Color through the Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond – report from Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Reading

• An Antiracist Reading List – compiled by Ibram X. Kendi
• 15 Books to Read by Black Female American Writers – compiled by The New York Times Magazine
• The Zora Canon – the 100 greatest books ever written by African American women
• These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids – compiled by The New York Times
• The Anti-Racist Reading List – Elle

Compiled Resource Lists & Trainings

• Resource Guide – YWCA Columbus
• Beyond the Hashtag: How to Take Anti-Racist Action in Your Life – Teen Vogue
• Anti-racism resources for white people – compiled resources
• Racial Equity Tools – resources to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity.
• Better Allies – resources for inclusive workplaces and hiring
• Race Forward – train
• Anti-racist Allyship Starter Pack – resources and tools regarding racism
• Anti-racism resources list – starting point for self-education
• Showing Up for Racial Justice – educational resources
• Anti-racism library curated by LeanIn.Org – specific focus on intersectional feminism and the impact of racism on women at work
• Anti-racism Resource Hub – United State of Women
• My Role in a Social Change Ecosystem – By Deepa Iyer
• Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup