how to be an intersectional lawyer

How can we put intersectionality into practice?

2015 / Intersectionality and International Law 207 methodology of intersectionality, explaining how the theory developed and how it has been used over the past two decades. Part II focuses on how intersectionality may be adapted to apply to the international women’s rights movement through the core international human rights mechanisms.

What is intersectional justice?

Jan 15, 2019 · An intersectional approach assists in considering why groups of people experience the law differently. Talking about race, gender, ability, and other elements of identity can be uncomfortable. No one wants to say the wrong thing, and some are reluctant to acknowledge differences at all. But on that November afternoon, we committed to having ...

What is an intersectional approach to family law?

Apr 28, 2021 · Intersectional leaders can leverage their authority to bring out the best in their colleagues. Here are five ways to incorporate intersectionality in your organization — beyond just using it as a buzzword. Step One: Decolonize Your Brain This wouldn’t be a Berrett-Koehler idea if we didn’t move from Self to Systems, right? All significant change starts with challenging …

What is an intersectional lens?

Jul 21, 2020 · First developed by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, a Black American lawyer, civil rights advocate, philosopher, and leading scholar of critical race theory, intersectionality is a theoretical framework that explains how aspects of someone’s identities (race, class, culture, sex, gender, etc.) can overlap and largely influence how someone ...

What is intersectional law?

Intersectionality describes the unique forms of discrimination, oppression and marginalization that can result from the interplay of two or more identity-based grounds of discrimination.

How do you practice intersectionality?

The health of communities that face intersectional forms of discrimination is often overlooked. One practical way to put intersectionality into practice is to ask whether the particular health needs of individuals and communities that face overlapping and intersecting forms of oppression are being met.

What does it mean to be an intersectional person?

Intersectionality is the acknowledgement that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and we must consider everything and anything that can marginalise people – gender, race, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc.Nov 24, 2019

Why is intersectionality important in law?

An intersectional approach assists in considering why groups of people experience the law differently. Talking about race, gender, ability, and other elements of identity can be uncomfortable. No one wants to say the wrong thing, and some are reluctant to acknowledge differences at all.Jan 15, 2019

What is an example of intersectionality?

Intersectionality recognizes that identity markers (e.g. “woman” and “black”) do not exist independently of each other, and that each informs the others, often creating a complex convergence of oppression. For instance, a black man and a white woman make $0.74 and $0.78 to a white man's dollar, respectively.Mar 29, 2017

Can intersectionality be positive?

While negative intersectionality hinders proper healthcare, on the other side, positive intersectionality helps in accurate diagnosis. It shows that paying particular attention to the ways that axes of identity and structural inequality converge can yield unexpected results.Nov 19, 2021

Who came up with intersectionality?

scholar Kimberlé CrenshawLegal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” in 1989 to describe how systems of oppression overlap to create distinct experiences for people with multiple identity categories.Aug 1, 2020

What are the three main factors involved in intersectionality?

These factors include: race, indigeneity, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, (dis)ability, spirituality, immigration/refugee status, language, and education. One of the ideas of intersectionality is for individuals, groups and communities to self-identify.Mar 7, 2019

How does intersectionality affect education?

School psychologists who embrace an intersectionality practice lens commit to understanding the educational processes, systems, structures, policies, and practices that put students, based on their intersecting identities, at increased risk for discrimination, prejudices, and oppression.

Is intersectionality a legal term?

This is a highly unusual level of disdain for a word that until several years ago was a legal term in relative obscurity outside academic circles. It was coined in 1989 by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap.May 28, 2019

What is another word for intersectionality?

What is another word for intersectionality?intersectionalisminterconnectednessanalogycorrelationconnectednesstogethernessmutualityinterrelatednessreciprocityinterdependence3 more rows

Who is Emma DeGraffenreid?

She cited the case of Emma DeGraffenreid, an African-American woman who sued GM, claiming that she had faced employment discrimination based on race and gender. The judge, finding that African-Americans and women had both been hired by the company, dismissed her case.

What is intersectional approach?

An intersectional approach acknowledges systemic discrimination due to sexual orientation and identity, gender and gender identity, race, economic status, immigration status, national origin, and ability, among other aspects of one’s identity, and that this systemic discrimination impacts access to opportunity.

Why is intersectionality important?

Community is a salient value for many Americans. Intersectionality recognizes this connection to community and amplifies the importance of ensuring that all members of the community are respected and enjoy access to opportunity.

What is discrimination in the real world?

In the real world, people are often subject not only to discrimination based on multiple aspects of their identity such as their race, gender, and immigration status, but also to discrimination unique to the “intersection” of their identities.

How to respect the voice of those most affected by issues?

Respect the voice of those most affected by issues by centering their voices, respecting their goals for their communities, and stepping aside and allowing them to serve as spokespeople for their own causes.

What is intersectionality in law?

Initially, it was an acknowledgment that compounded marginalized identities can cause bias within the courts, like how Black people might face additional levels of discrimination if they were also women. After being printed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2015, the word went viral — and like many viral frameworks, the meaning of “intersectionality” has flexed to fit the times. Chances are, you’ve at least heard people in your office throw this word around in meetings. If you don’t know what it means, that’s okay! But I’ll let you in on a little secret about intersectionality: it probably already describes you.

What is the importance of diverse perspectives?

Incorporating diverse perspectives is such a vital key to intersectionality that there's a whole chapter devoted to it in The 5 Principles of Inclusive Leaders. "Integrating diverse perspectives equips leaders to better manage their diverse teams as well as the various other diverse parts of the organization they interact with." The challenge is finding ways for this myriad of perspectives to exist harmoniously — in our imperfect world, dissenting viewpoints can breed conflict, and unchecked conflict can lead to catastrophic consequences such as a toxic or hateful work environment.

Is listening important in intersectional leadership?

Yes, listening is the key to moving your intersectional mindset outward. But eventually, you’re also going to have to speak. So many people are afraid of talking, worried that they might say the wrong thing and be canceled into oblivion. Sometimes the best response is to say nothing, but sometimes speaking up is necessary. How does the newly intersectional leader discern what to do and when?

What is intersectional environmentalism?

Intersectional Environmentalism is an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet. It identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalized communities and the earth are interconnected. It brings injustices done to the most vulnerable communities, and the earth, ...

What is social justice?

Social justice includes environmental justice and so should environmentalism as a whole. This will strengthen both movements and make it so that BIPOC and other unheard voices can feel seen, heard, and included. “ Social justice includes environmental justice and so should environmentalism as a whole. ”.

Who is Leah Thomas?

Culture. Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator. She launched the intersectional environmentalist platform to explore the relationship between environmentalism and cultural identity. You can connect with her on Instagram.

What are the different types of intersectionality?

Depending on who’s using the word, intersectionality is used to refer to: 1 A scholarly theory 2 An advanced level of wokeness 3 Black women 4 Anyone who is ‘multiply marginalized’ 5 A critique of white feminists and white feminism

What is intersectionality in social construction?

Intersectionality takes on what’s known as a social constructionist view of identity. This means that rather than seeing identities like gender, sexuality, and race as biological traits, it understands how what it means to be a man/woman/non-binary/straight/queer/white/Black are informed by cultural ideas.

Why is intersectionality so popular?

One reason scholars speculate why intersectionality may have become so popular is its vivid analogy of traffic crossing in different directions. Kimberlé Crenshaw has an incredible gift for communicating intellectually complex ideas in an accessible and relatable way.

What is intersectional feminism?

Intersectional feminism is an intellectual and political movement that identifies and challenges the ways interlocking systems of oppression impact social life, exemplified in the struggles of women of color.

When did Sojourner Truth say "Ain't I a woman"?

The core sentiments of intersectionality could be heard when former slave, Sojourner Truth, allegedly proclaimed to the crowd at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851, “Ain’t I a woman?”

Who said my feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit?

Perhaps you’ve heard the motto “my feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit” ( originally proclaimed by Flavia Dzodan) and now you’re not so sure if your feminism has been “bullshit” all along. Depending on who’s using the word, intersectionality is used to refer to: A scholarly theory.

What was the Combahee River Collective?

In 1977, the Combahee River Collective, a coalition of Black lesbian feminists operating in Boston, Massachusetts between 1974–1980, produced a powerful manifesto that advanced an intersectional vision. In what they called A Black Feminist Statement, the Collective proclaimed:

What is an Intersectional Lens?

An intersectional lens isn’t a physical item, but a concept or framework that aims to explain why every person sees the world in a unique way. It’s the compilation of all the influences and unique experiences in our lives that come together to shape our worldview.

Understanding the Connection to Intersectionality

Although they are closely related, It’s important not to confuse the term “intersectional lens” with “intersectionality.” Law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality when sharing a theory that focuses on how these overlapping influences can bring about systemic prejudice and oppression.

Why is Becoming Conscious of Your Intersectional Lens Important?

We make roughly 35,000 decisions per day, most of which are unconsciously influenced by our intersectional lens. This means we take in information, process it, and form assumptions, based on the social and cultural conditioning we receive through different influencers.

How Can You Begin to Recognize Your Intersectional Filters?

Being able to recognize the different filters within your intersectional lens is a key step in unlocking your potential. A simple exercise can help.

The Power of Your Intersectional Lens

Since our intersectional lens influences us on an un conscious level, the steps above allow us to examine our beliefs on a conscious level.

Multiple Struggles

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Intersecting Oppressions

Voice

Inclusivity

Family

Disaggregateddata

Intersecting Issues & Cross-Issues

Collaboration

Health

Community