Recognizing Action with Kimberlé Crenshaw
By: Jenna Woodring, MPAC Policy Intern
As this year’s Black History Month comes to a close, we must continue to remember the lasting legacies of Black Americans and the triumphs and the complex discourses that have shaped, and continue to shape, the fabric of our nation.
One of the many Black Americans that are shaping our world is Kimberlé Crenshaw, a respected scholar, professor, writer, and civil rights advocate who pioneered the educational and political landscapes through her innovative work, most notably on intersectionality and the Critical Race Theory (CRT). Through her profound work, Crenshaw introduced a recognition of the overlap between social identities, notably minority identities, and their relation to systems of oppression and discrimination.
In the 1980s, Crenshaw coined the term Critical Race Theory, which has since gained large-scale prominence. Most recently, the Movement for Black Lives, propelled by incidents of police brutality and the murders of unarmed Black individuals, inspired a nationwide recognition of the injustices and racism against Black Americans. The terms Critical Race Theory and intersectionality began to reach hundreds of news outlets, scholars, and politicians with pushback from critics. Despite the controversy surrounding the CRT, the basis of Crenshaw’s advocacy is rooted in the need for change in our institutions and the desire to give a platform to marginalized groups to share the unique oppression they face.
To read more about Kimberlé Crenshaw's work, click here.
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