Not Just "Other People's Children": Advocating for My Child at the Intersection of My Identities

• In Event: Struggles of Race, Identity, and Racism as We Advocate for Our Children in Public Schools

Abstract

In her seminal 1989 article, Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality theory,” to describe the experiences of Black women in the legal dimension. In particular, she argued, Black women faced layered discriminatory and often punitive experiences because of both their race and class identities. What originated as a feminist theory centered on race and gender (The Combahee River Collective, 1979) has since evolved into a broader theory that encompasses notions of class, gender, sexual orientation, and others constructions of identity (Cho, Crenshaw, & McCall, 2013). Intersectionality is a critical tool for understanding how the lived experiences of members of historically marginalized communities are shaped by the multiplicity of their identities; that is, how a person sees and understands the world and also how the world sees and understands the person, is framed through that individual’s identities.

This paper draws from this theory to examine my intersectionality as I worked to advocate for my daughter who faced persistent bullying during her 4th and 5th grade years at a local public school, and employs critical autoethnographic research methods (Boylorn & Orbe, 2014). Rather than focus on the instances of bullying as the unit of study, this paper applies an intersectionality framework (Crenshaw, 1989) to examine how my responses to the incidents were shaped and, in some cases, constrained by my layered identities (i.e. mother, woman, Afro-Latina, middle-class, and also professor who aims to prepare socially just and equity-focused school leader).

In the paper, I examine my interactions with the school leadership and teaching staff as documented by numerous email communications, as well other email exchanges I had with allies (i.e. family members, colleagues, etc.). I examine these communications, paying particular attention to how, when and where I drew upon my status privilege, as well as when and why I hesitated to do so. The bully, a White male classmate whose twin sister was also in my daughter’s enrichment class and who at times also participated in the bullying activities, lived with two parents, one a psychologist and the other, an investment banker. Rather than perceiving the parents as my equal, I had to consciously remind myself that my education and expertise was as valuable as the bully’s parent. Whereas the bully’s parents (and the bully himself) employed their privilege and entitlement easily, enacting my own required a concerted effort. Through examining these kinds of interactions and dynamics, the paper theorizes the personal to better understand the complexities of interactions between schools and members of the community, especially those who have historically been at the margins. At its core, this paper is a reflexive act of public scholarship, in keeping with this year’s conference theme.

Author

• Rosa L. Rivera-McCutchen, Lehman College - CUNY