The struggle against patriarchy and racism must be substantively robust and inextricably intertwined.
Interpretation
The fight against patriarchy and racism should be strong and interconnected.
In this quote, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw emphasizes the importance of a vigorous and integrated struggle against both patriarchy and racism, highlighting that these issues are deeply entwined and cannot be effectively addressed in isolation. She argues that efforts for social justice must acknowledge the intersectionality of these two forms of oppression to create a comprehensive approach to equality and human rights.
In practice
In a speech on social justice, one might invoke this quote to highlight the interconnected nature of various forms of oppression.
I have a wonderful, diverse, and young staff at the AAPF who pretty much work around the clock trying to figure out how we promote the idea that social justice requires us to be intersectional in our thinking and in our scope of vision.
If you don't have a lens that's been trained to look at how various forms of discrimination come together, you're unlikely to develop a set of policies that will be as inclusive as they need to be.
We have to move back to the idea that education isn't about teaching people to bow to rigid rules. That's not what democracy is about.
Having a monolithic view of feminism is suffocating.
We must begin to tell black women's stories because, without them, we cannot tell the story of black men, white men, white women, or anyone else in this country. The story of black women is critical because those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it.
All too often, girls are ignored because their challenges aren't thought to be as serious as those faced by boys.
I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.
Don't be afraid of new arenas.
At my aunt's funeral, I promised myself that I wouldn't be bound by the belief that I'm supposed to stay in anything - whether it's a relationship, a job, a house, or a circumstance - if it makes me miserable. She gave me the courage to find my own happiness.
I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them.
I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!
People resist exploitation. They resist as actively as they can, as passively as they must.
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