Week Five: Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how someone's overlapping identities create their unique experience and challenges. These identities include race, gender, sexuality, disability, caste, religion, etc. Creating awareness around this topic will deepen your understanding of those around you.

Week Five: Day 1

WATCH the video What is Intersectionality? that explains the concept of intersectionality.

REFLECT: Had you heard the term "intersectional" before this video? What are your identities? Has the intersection of your identities impacted your life (home, work, school, etc) positively or negatively?

WANT TO GO DEEPER? Watch a short video explaining the importance of intersectionality HERE.

Week Five: Day 2

WATCH the video African American Women and their Fight for Equality.

REFLECT: Have you ever been stripped of one identity in order to fit into another? How does exposure to this plight make you reconsider what freedom and liberation looks like for all? Has the concept of intersectionality altered how you perceive other people’s daily experiences?

WANT TO GO DEEPER? Watch the video "There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions" by Audre Lorde and read by Lauren Lyons HERE.

Week Five: Day 3

WATCH the TED talk: The Urgency of Intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw.

REFLECT: Have you ever felt your identity was questioned and/or used against you? Imagine adding an additional marginalized identity to yours--how differently would your life experience be? What potential obstacles would you have to confront?

WANT TO GO DEEPER? Read the Respectability.org article "Show Up Authentically: Life at the Intersection of Disability and Multiple Identities" HERE.

Week Five: Day 4

WATCH the New York Times Events video Living at the Intersection with Brittany Packnett.

REFLECT: How frequently do you interact with someone with intersectional identities? Have you considered their experience before now? How have you contributed to equity and inclusion in the workplace? Have you leveraged your power to help someone else?

WANT TO GO DEEPER? Read the article "Intersectionality as a Framework for Inclusive Media Planning" HERE.

Week Five: Day 5

WATCH the TEDx talk: Effective Allyship: A Transgender Take on Intersectionality with Ashlee Marie Preston

REFLECT: Have you experienced the uncomfortable "fight or flight" reaction Preston talks about when being told you made someone else feel unseen, undervalued or unappreciated? Can you be curious about the origins of that discomfort? Can you rise above it to find empathy for others?

WANT TO GO DEEPER? Read the article "Saying 'All Black Lives Matter' Matters" HERE.

You've come to the end of Week Five: Intersectionality

Please join us for a Week Five Discussion Group on Wednesday, April 14th at 1pm. We also invite you to share your anonymous feedback on this section. The feedback is intentionally anonymous to create a safe space for everyone's opinions, feedback and questions. The goal is for this is to be an open and productive dialogue, not a one-way flow of information. You can share your anonymous feedback HERE.

If you're looking to dive deeper, here are some suggested resources from fellow Buddhans:

Want to discuss this topic with your kids? Check out "Intersectionality 101" HERE

Read "Race, Ethnicity and Disability: The Financial Impact of Systemic Inequality and Intersectionality" HERE