About

Intersectionality.co.uk is a blog dedicated to promoting understanding and awareness of intersectionality in society, particularly in terms of the experience of black people

Hi, my name is Erin. I'm a second-year student of Manchester Metropolitan who has completed my course on Gender, race, and sexuality. I am a white Cis female, so it may come as a surprise that I have chosen this topic. I can relate to the experiences of women as a woman myself, but I cannot begin to imagine the experience of those in the black community, specifically in the political turmoil that we are in. I have always had an interest in social injustice, even though I cannot relate; the power of empathy and understanding should not be underestimated. If I can educate myself further and pass that on to others, it is a small step in the right direction. A constant theme in most cases of discrimination is ignorance and fear of the unknown. It is, therefore, our own responsibility to educate ourselves on the struggles of others.

Intersectionality, first coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is a theory that shows how multiple social identities, e.g., sexuality, race, and gender, can converge, leading to further discrimination. In the modern world, it's important to note how different identities contribute to inequality that anyone can experience;  if we can understand this, we can understand individuals' experiences better. Oppression is not just one-dimensional, so to tackle it, we have to consider every factor that could be contributing to further discrimination. In the context of Black identities, the multifaceted nature of people means that they're not just their race but also their sexual orientation, their sex, or their economic status. This compilation of identities makes up part of who we are, but it can also lead to disadvantages if people are faced with both racism and sexism at the same time, for example. What is concerning is that people may accept that racism or misogyny exists, but not that these can intersect to form new social biases that are far more complex.

My aim is for you to read this and hopefully learn something new, and if you haven't, then I hope you can share what you know with others.