By Elara Wareham

Have you ever wondered where the term “white feminism” came from? Or even why it exists?

Simply put, white feminists are those who lack intersectionality.

Even though they are activists, they focus on a single-issue struggle - via the view of the white woman.

The truth is that feminism is so much more complex than this group makes it out to be. For example, other social factors (such as race, sexuality, class, etc.) play a huge role in the amount of discrimination and oppression that an individual experiences.

This is where intersectionality comes in.

Kimberle Crenshaw - an American lawyer, philosopher, civil rights activist, and professor - originally recognized intersectionality when she was reading about a woman named Emma DeGraffenreid. This woman was an African American who had applied to work at a local car dealership. Emma did not get the job and she believed it was because she was a black woman.

She then decided to put forth a discrimination claim which was dismissed. This is because the judge believed that there was no issue of discrimination present because the car dealership hired African Americans as well as women.

The issue here is that this business did employ African Americans, but only if they were men to work on the factory floor and they did hire women, but only if they were white to work in secretarial jobs. Clearly, Emma had no chance from the beginning.

From this case, Crenshaw concluded that there were often “overlaps” of discrimination that made equality seem present, when in reality the “equality” being offered was nothing more than multiple levels of social injustice.

Later, Crenshaw would coin this issue as intersectionality - “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage” (Oxford Dictionary, 2021).

These other social categorisations include:

• Age

• Socioeconomic status

• Physical or mental ability

• Gender or sexual identity

• Religion

• Ethnicity

According to Crenshaw, intersectionality is a lens to understand certain problems that may be the result of multiple social injustices, compounded.

Why your Activism Should be Intersectional

Firstly, what is the purpose of activism? To make changes in society toward a greater good, right? Well, as demonstrated before, if you only focus on one issue from one perspective, you are in fact being counterproductive.

To demonstrate this, we will use our favourite example: white feminism. Again, white feminists are focused on the dismantling of the patriarchy. However, they do this exclusively from the perspective of a white woman. Obviously, as discussed previously, a white woman’s experience is significantly different to that of a Black, Indigenous and Women of Colour (BIWOC). Consequently, by solely focusing on the white woman’s perspective and excluding BIWOC, this feminism is simply white supremacy in heels.

Moving on, making your activism intersectional makes perfect sense; everyone’s life experiences are based on the intermingling of our multiple identities, so why solely focus on one.

How to be an Intersectional Activist

Intersectionality may seem complicated, but it is about acknowledging that everyone can face distinct types of oppression.

Just to clarify, this does not mean one person’s activism is more important than the other and it does not take away from anyone’s experiences. It just means approaching social justice issues from a position that considers everyone, in all their diversities. Here are a few ways you can try to be a supportive, inclusive, and intersectional activist.

Know your Privilege

Realising your own privilege can feel like a personal attack, but it is not. It is about understanding that your personal identity and history may mean that, in some way, you have been spared the oppression another person may have experienced.

Checking your privilege is not about creating a sliding scale of who’s worse off - it is about learning and understanding the views of other activists.

Take the Time to Listen and Make the Space for Others (3 ways to be an intersectional feminist ally, 2017)

If there are not any physical avenues to hear from others where you live, social media is a great resource of people to learn from, follow and engage with.

As much as you can online and in real life, make the space for other people to speak up about their experiences. Advocating for other people’s issues does not mean speaking for them and can be as simple as sharing an Instagram post or giving space for diverse voices in conversations, wherever you are.

Know the Power of Words

It is important to remember that it is not up to other people to educate you on their subcultures or experiences. This is where your own research comes in. Whether you read online, listen to podcasts, or use a physical book, it is imperative that you undertake your own further research.

Additionally, you need to look at your own words. People who use microaggressions, such as telling someone they are pretty for *insert racial, sexual, or physical identifier here*, may not actively mean to offend or harm - but they do. Keep this in mind when you speak, and gently pull your mates up if they use this kind of language.

It is important to remember that no one will ever be the perfect intersectional activist and/or ally - it is a never-ending journey. You will make mistakes, and that is okay - you just need to always be open to learning.