The Personal is Political and the Political is Revolutionary
Before we unpack intersectionality as I see and understand it, I want to preface this by sharing a little something with you all.
I hope that by us exploring what intersectionality was intended to mean by-and-for Black women, that I can ignite belief and speak to something inside of you that inspires action. Maybe these words will serve as a reminder for you or maybe an initiation into truth and authenticity. Either way, I want to share with you how the personal is political, interwoven and intertwined. Intersectionality is not just a word but a way of life. This view is grounded in the knowledge that intersectionality is an argument and a protest for the reorganisation of society based on the collective needs of the most oppressed. And we, I, women like me, can’t allow for this to be lost, for it to become a buzzword, because without it, the road we travel can never lead to equity and without equity, there is no liberation.
And so, before I bid you goodbye, allowing the literature to take over, I want to say this...
To the women who ignited a revolution,
To the women whose everyday lives personify this revolution,
To the women whose very existence is a testament of protest against inequality,
To the women who have battled for centuries, and to those thrust into a fight they never chose,
To my sisters,
I dedicate these words, and this work, to you.
Infinitely Yours,
Sian
Intersectionality Through Time
The concept of intersectionality has emerged as a cornerstone of progressive dialogue, featuring in webinars, training and being included as a recruitment requirement or within organisational descriptors. The discussion on the concept and thus the inclusion of this term in practice has emerged, but what has been the impact of this emergence structurally, organisationally, socially and politically?
Initially widespread acknowledgment is commendable as it furthers our collective pursuit of social change. Social change, that if successful, will condemn the “isms” and weaken the foundations that domestic and sexual violence and abuse have been built on. However, this can only be achieved if we collectively embody this pursuit. As the term becomes more mainstream, and the practice does not, it risks being watered down and disconnected from its original revolutionary spirit. Becoming only a terminology and no longer a social and political movement and drive for equity.
Intersectionality is more than just a term meant to dissect and communicate identity facets. At its core intersectionality is a politically potent perspective. A perspective grounded in the historical resistance against interlaced layers of oppression that reinforce each other to create new categories of suffering—a resistance led by Black women.
Black women were not just exploring intersectionality before it had a name, they were living it, long before it made its way into the current discourse. To embody intersectionality authentically, we need a profound understanding of its true essence. We must acknowledge that our services exist within a society and framework where oppression is tightly bound with capitalist, imperialist, and patriarchal systems and actively work to disrupt them through our language, advocacy, policies and procedures. We have to recognise that merely striving for equity by naming ourselves intersectional falls short of intersectionality’s broader goals. True intersectionality, in the context of domestic and sexual violence and abuse services, is an ongoing commitment to revolutionary practice.
Practicing intersectionality demands more than adopting it as a buzzword. It requires an understanding of its roots as a political, social, and emotional battle for survival, liberation, safety, compassion, and respect. We have to embrace intersectionality not just as an intellectual concept, but as a revolutionary rallying cry against systemic injustice.
In its original form, intersectionality is passionate and emotionally charged—it's not just a theory, but a lived reality. It is our responsibility to ensure that we do not dilute this energy in our attempts to broaden its accessibility. As we continue to apply intersectionality to our work, we have to strive to uphold the revolutionary spirit that gave birth to it.
Introducing Anna Julia Cooper, 1892
Anna Julia Cooper, a renowned Black scholar, first elucidated a concept that we would later recognise as intersectionality. Cooper wrote: "The coloured woman of today occupies…a unique position in this country…she is confronted by both a woman question and a race problem, and is as yet an unknown or an unacknowledged factor in both”. She explored the distinct oppression Black women endured born from the intersection of their racial and gender identities. Her work laid the critical foundation for future feminist theories.
Anna Julia Cooper articulated this concept as early as 1892—over a century ago. For at least 132 years, Black and Brown women have been chronicling their unique suffering under the weight of multi-layered oppression. They have detailed how this intersectional oppression contributed to and perpetuated their experiences of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. They‘ve documented how white feminist organisations refused to fully engage with anti-racist issues affecting Black women such as forced sterilisation, worker rights and racially motivated criminalisation and victimisation, all of which fuelled a powerful, collective political movement, that is now featuring in our practice today.
In the last several years, Black feminism has re-emerged as the analytical framework for the activist response to the oppression of trans women of colour, the fight for reproductive rights and of course the movement against police abuse and violence. What I'm emphasising, is that the concept of intersectionality has long been more than just acknowledging the diversity of someone's identity; it is a political strategy aimed at addressing human rights violations that stem from these intersecting identities and this is what stands to be lost if we allow intersectionality to be relegated to a buzzword.
Francis Beal: Exposing Double Jeopardy
Fast forward to the 1960s, Frances Beal's landmark pamphlet, "Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female," was a significant contribution to the discourse on intersectionality, though it predated the actual coining of the term by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989.
Published in the late 1960s, Beal's work articulated the unique struggles of Black women situated at the intersection of race and gender. In "Double Jeopardy," Beal wrote: "Black women, have, of course, then been faced with the worst job discrimination since employers can practice both racial and sexual discrimination against them." Her work underlined the specific double bind Black women found themselves in, caught at the intersection of racism and sexism. She boldly argued that capitalism, imperialism, and sexism were intertwined systems of oppression that could not be combated in isolation and highlighted the pervasive socioeconomic impacts of these combined systems.
Her concept of 'double jeopardy' became a touchstone for intersectionality, reinforcing a rethinking of social and political frameworks. Her work continues to resonate today, reminding us that any attempt to combat oppression must be intersectional, tackling all forms of discrimination and its impact simultaneously and recognising the distinct and complex experiences of different groups.
The Combahee River Collective: A Call for Coalition Building
Over 10 years later, in the late 1970s, a pivotal Black feminist group known as the Combahee River Collective (CRC) emerged. They had long identified their unique struggles as arising from the intersection of multiple oppressions. Their ground-breaking work underscored the importance of adopting comprehensive strategies to dismantle injustice, rather than addressing each issue in isolation.
Their objective was not to obscure or abandon one’s own battles in favour of supporting others, but rather to fortify the political commitments among different groups. They championed the idea that our diverse struggles are intertwined within a capitalist structure. The CRC referred to this concept as coalition-building - a practice that resonates with what we strive for today, even after five decades.
Their philosophy that connected the struggle for Black liberation to the struggle for a liberated world, remains deeply relevant and can be encapsulated in their powerful statement, "If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression". This rallying cry for collective liberation continues to guide our relentless pursuit of systemic change and what we as an organisation call for today.
Our goal is creating a collaborative network where agencies, each with their unique strengths and focuses, come together to recognise, learn, and leverage the intersectionality of their battles against the oppressive systems that sustain violence and inequality.
This collaboration would involve building shared platforms for dialogue and strategy development, where different agencies can exchange knowledge, insights, and resources. These platforms could serve as spaces for collective learning and shared planning, bridging the gap between different organisations and sectors to create a powerful and unified front. Though as discussed in our piece,” Against the Current: A Critical Exploration of Power Structures in Non-profits from a By-and-For Perspective” we don’t see this happening as it should. Rather we see a claiming of intersectionality in title, but not in principle or in practice.
Ideally, we must align our policies, practices, and messaging. It's not enough to be working towards the same broad goal; our methods, language, and approach must be in harmony too. That way, we present a consistent, coherent, and forceful challenge to the structures of oppression that we are up against.
Claiming Intersectionality: A Revolutionary Commitment
So, what does it mean to claim intersectionality? It requires more than understanding the interconnectedness of various forms of oppression when clients approach our services. It requires more than acknowledging difference. It calls for a commitment to dismantle oppressive structures, including capitalism. To claim intersectionality is to demand a societal reorganisation that addresses the needs of the most marginalised. It involves recognising the revolutionary roots of intersectionality and its purpose as both a political and analytical tool in understanding and challenging oppression, an initiative led by Black women.
From Anna Julia Cooper to Bell Hooks, Black women have been the guiding light of intersectionality, underpinning this revolutionary theory with their lived experiences. As we incorporate intersectionality into our work and services, we must not only understand this history but be inspired to continue their fight for a just world. To claim intersectionality is to lead with both head and heart. It is a political undertaking steeped in personal experiences, signifying that the personal is indeed political. It is a call to end oppression in all its interlocking forms—a call that should resound in every corner of our society, our organisations, our work and our lives.
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