Unfinished Business

Intersectionality: a beginning not an end

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Episode notes

Do you call yourself a feminist? For some, the is a straightforward ‘yes’ for others, it’s complicated. In this episode focusing on intersectionality we explore why. The term intersectionality was first used by lawyer Kimberly Crenshaw in the late 1980s to highlight that social justice problems, such as racism and sexism, are often inextricably linked. In this episode curator Polly Russell is joined by poet, activist and educator Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan as they explore intersectionality: why it’s essential, how has the term been misused and misappropriated and how looking through the world with an intersectional lens is just a starting point and not an end in itself. They look back to the 70s and 80s with Gail Lewis, psychotherapist, writer, activist and co-founder of the Organisation for Women of Asian and African Descent, and explore why this discussion is so pertinent now with academic Azeezat Johnson.