Ted Talk Friday: The urgency of intersectionality

You might have heard the term “intersectionality” floating around or maybe you are incredibly familiar with it, but I believe everyone can learn from this amazing Ted Talk given by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw. Dr. Crenshaw describes what intersectionality is and how and why it matters. She provides clear examples that paint a picture of what the complex experience of prejudice and oppression look like. I watched this talk as part of my participation in Academics for Black Survival and Wellness, which was an incredible program to foster accountability and growth for non-Black people dedicated to anti-racist action; thank you to this organization for sharing this talk and creating a beautiful space for growth.

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Had you heard of intersectionality before this talk? Did you feel emotionally shaken after this talk?

Working Towards Being Anti-Racist: Thoughts & Resources

Long time, no talk! If you’re like me, you’ve being doing a lot of introspection, reading, protesting, documentary-watching, and maybe crying a bit more than usual. What a painful time for this country, but also what a time for growth and change. I am lucky to be finishing out my first year in a doctoral counseling psychology program where social justice is at the core of our education and training. Being in a program like that, plus having an amazing advisor, has provided a great space to reflect, process, and learn.

I certainly don’t have many answers, but I did want to share some ideas and resources that have helped me over the past few weeks. Keep in mind that my identity as a white woman has shaped how I’ve educated myself and what resources I’ve chosen so what I’m writing below might not fit for you. Please comment with any resources you’ve found helpful or if you have critiques about any of the resources. I’d be excited to learn from you!

This photo from The Conscious Kid and I’ve been glad to see it floating around Facebook or Instagram. You might have already seen this, but it is powerful and moving to read through.

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I have also found many resources through this document, Scaffolded Anti-racism Resources (SAR) It is an amazing resource compiled by others and shared with me by my advisor. Please think about donating to the organizations cited at the top if you do make use of it. What I love about SAR is that it helps you think about where you are in your learning process to determine what resources might be most helpful for you. The document provides some detail about this, but the different levels (i.e.”scaffolding”) come from the Helms’ White Racial Identity Model. I highly recommend you check out this model if you are a white person who wants to learn about where you are and how best to educate yourself.

I won’t take up time and space here, but I encourage you to seek our resources created by Black people (and support them for those resources in the ways that you can).