Black Feminism and Intersectionality Vocab

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Black Feminism

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A social, political, and intellectual movement rooted in the lived experiences of Black women, advocating for racial, gender, and economic justice by addressing the intersections of multiple forms of oppression.

The rise of Black feminism in the 1970s built upon earlier activism by women like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman who fought for both racial and gender equality.

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Intersectionality

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A term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how overlapping identities (such as race, gender, class, and sexuality) intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege.

Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality helped scholars understand the unique forms of oppression faced by Black women.

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Womanism

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A term introduced by Alice Walker to describe a form of feminism that centers the experiences, culture, and perspectives of Black women, often emphasizing community, spirituality, and familial bonds.

Alice Walker’s concept of womanism responded to the exclusion of Black women from mainstream feminist and civil rights movements.

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Combahee River Collective

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A 1970s Black feminist lesbian organization that articulated how the liberation of Black women would require the dismantling of all forms of oppression and would benefit all people.

The Combahee River Collective argued that Black women’s liberation would lead to the freedom of all marginalized groups

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Collective Statement (1977)

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The foundational text written by the Combahee River Collective outlining their politics and arguing that fighting for Black women’s liberation would lead to the liberation of everyone.

In their Collective Statement, the Combahee River Collective emphasized the need to dismantle racism, sexism, and classism.

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Interlocking Systems of Oppression

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A concept developed by Patricia Hill Collins that explains how forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, classism, homophobia) are interconnected and operate simultaneously across institutions.

Interlocking systems of oppression help explain how Black women experience racism and sexism together, not separately.

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Matrix of Domination

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A framework developed by Patricia Hill Collins that explores how power is organized across multiple axes of identity and social location, especially within structures like education and the criminal justice system.

The matrix of domination illustrates how intersecting systems of power impact Black communities in health care, housing, and education.

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Sojourner Truth

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A 19th-century formerly enslaved woman who became a nationally known advocate for abolition and women’s rights, remembered for her famous speech "Ain’t I a Woman?" that challenged racial and gender norms.

Sojourner Truth’s advocacy for women’s rights and abolition provided an early model for Black feminist thought.

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Jarena Lee

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The first authorized female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, known for her spiritual autobiography and resistance to gender norms in religious leadership.

Jarena Lee’s fight for the right to preach challenged both racial and gender barriers in the 19th century.

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Harriet Tubman

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A conductor on the Underground Railroad and Union spy during the Civil War who led the Combahee River Raid, later serving as a symbol for Black feminist resistance.

The Combahee River Collective named themselves after Harriet Tubman’s 1863 raid to honor her leadership in Black liberation.