Intersectionality and the Duboisian Approach to Collective Identity

• In Event: 2183 - Section on Race, Gender, and Class Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 01. Race and Identity

Abstract

The insertion of gender within the oppression of race further alienates women of color into a state of invisibility. Black womanism encompasses the synthesis of multiple forms of oppression - racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class – as well as the resistance towards them. One cannot examine the forms of oppression singly, given that they are inextricably linked. Intersectionality defines the Black woman experience. As such, it must be examined as an interwoven mechanism, with an anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-heterosexist paradigm. Issues and concerns facing women of color were often ignored to maintain the patriarchal, racist, and/or classist status quo. Women of color within America embody three different realities: poor, minority, and female. In order to assess the unique position that she holds, one must understand each element and how they interact with one another. The unique nature of her intersectionality - race, gender, and class - positions the Black woman to experience the plight of all-inclusive marginalization. Since Black and female are deemed to be equally subordinate, there is no extra thought given to the experiences of the Black woman. However, the liberation of Black women affects the freedom and rights bestowed upon all Americans. American society would benefit from a unified human ideal, learning from one another and solidifying a stronger population with a more robust understanding of humankind.

Author

• Monica E. Williams, Texas A&M University