It is important to examine gender through an intersectional lens because the major systems of oppression are woven together, meaning: gender, race, sexuality, and class oppression is based upon each of these systems working simultaneously. It is the combination of all of these elements that ultimately leads to the creation of the conditions in which we live (Wallace). Also, intersectionality is not “The Oppression Olympics.” Intersectionality does not seek to identify who is the most oppressed. Instead, the goal of intersectionality is to determine the factors which foster oppressive systems and address them individually and also correctly. Using Black feminism as an example, I would like to make the case that intersectionality is beneficial when discussing gender because it is the essence of living intersectional …show more content…
Gender, when it also includes race, creates different experiences. Black feminists argue that we all experience gender differently because of our individual racial orientation. Black feminists and even Black women who do not define themselves as feminists have all experienced oppression and would say it is a constant factor in our day-to-day existences (Wallace). For example, because we live in a white supremacist society, non-white people are told to put themselves into a particular mold. The mold is one that ensures they will be presenting themselves in ways that are pleasing to white people. This pressure is an experience that is lived by non-white people but not shared with white people. Without intersectionality, we would not even know how to begin to look at this kind of oppression that is sexist and also racist. If we try to approach systems of oppression without the respect of intersectionality, we run the risk of ignoring the experiences of marginalized people. This potential for lack of attention became a reality when Black women began to address publicly the issues that