Teaching At the Intersections by:  Monita K Bell

     This author discusses the term intersectionality and introduces it through the case study of a student named Nicole.  Bell discusses how the term intersectionality was coined in 1989 by Kimberle' Crenshaw, a legal scholar and law professor.  Crenshaw introduced the term intersectionality in her essay:  "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex:  A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics."  Crenshaw used intersectionality as a framework to trace the impact of multiple modes of discrimination that come together and create unique circumstances, obstacles and barriers for people who are subject to them as related to specific legal cases. 

     Intersectionality is defined as:  "the interconnected nature of social organizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage."  The concept of intersectionality should be addressed in the classroom with each student as evidenced by the case study of Nicole.  Each student should be looked at not only by their outward appearances, but also by their layers of identities.  When you peel back the layers of a student's identity; a complete understanding of the student comes forth.  In the example of Nicole, she appeared as an African-American student who was not doing well in school.  When you look at her "intersectionality", not only was she a person of color, but also she was a girl from a low income family who was responsible for taking care of her younger siblings.  These identities contributed to her inability to get to school on time and get her homework done.  Educators need to assess the "Nicole's" of their classrooms through an "intersectional lens" that recognizes the impact of race, economic status, gender, religion, and language on a student's ability to succeed in the classroom.  This is similar to how nurses are trained to treat the whole biopsychosocial patient and not just the medical problem or illness of the patient. 

     The concept of intersectionality helps one to understand the relationship between power and privilege.  The terms power and privilege have been discussed throughout our previous readings. 

Delpit discusses the focus and culture of power while addressing the five rules one must have in order to attain the power.  Johnson discusses the diversity wheel by Loden and Rosener which is based on six main characteristics:   age, race, gender, ethnicity, physical ability, qualities and sexual orientation.  The manner in which these characteristics intersect and overlap at any given time can drastically effect ones outcomes in life; much like that of the intersectionality discussed by Bell and its effects on how students should be looked at in the classroom.  Johnson also discusses privilege and the role it plays just by belonging to a certain social group not because of anything one has done or not done with the opposite being oppression. Bell discusses techniques used by educators in the classroom to discuss oppressions as a way of privileging students' identities.  Intersectionality gives one a way to talk about oppressions and privileges that overlap and reinforce each other. 

      In closing, the video:  5 Tips for Being a Good Ally, was an excellent final video to watch.  It defines the term ally as a verb that is fighting for equality for a marginalized group that one is not a part.  In order to be an ally one must understand their own privileges, do their research, be supportive, apologize for their mistakes, move forward, have an impact, commit to changing their own behaviors, and do the work.  These tips should be incorporated into every educator's agenda for we are our student's allies regardless of the marginalized group to which they belong!