Intersectionality theory explains how different facets of social and political identities interact to form different types of discriminations and privileges in women's lives. Professor Kimberle Crenshaw uses this theory to explain how 'women of color are invisible in plain sight' through anti-racial and feminist campaigns. While speaking to Bim Adewumwi, a British writer and journalist, she explains how African women and other women of color experience overlapping discrimination through anti-discriminatory laws that separately refer to gender and race by using several examples as discussed below.
According to Crenshaw, the concept of intersectionality is not new. It dated back to the 19 th Century in the pre-Civil war United States of America, where racial discrimination and injustices were at their peak in the form of institutionalized slavery. Today, no one talks about the oppression and the atrocities done to African American women. Only a few celebrate the achievements and contributions of African American women (such as Maria W. Stewart and Anna Julia Cooper) in their fight for civil rights compared to their male counterparts.
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Professor Crenshaw argues that anti-discriminatory laws look at gender and race separately. Unlike white women, African American women and other women of color find it challenging to prove discrimination. A good example is the case of Ms. Anita Hill. She testified to a televised court proceeding in 1991 about how Clarence Thomas, a nominee of the Supreme Court, harassed her sexually. During this proceeding, the all-white, all-male lawmakers treated her dismissively, and Thomas, the accused, made a 'lynching' comment claiming that the case presented at the court was an African American issue leaving Ms. Hill with no chance but to accept defeat. To her surprise, as she walked out of court, she met her fellow African American women singing gospel songs in support of Clarence Thomas, making her feel kicked out of her community.
In conclusion, the metaphor "women of color are invisible in plain sight" implies that amid differences based on social class, race, and politics, women of color have not been given equal opportunities compared to their white allies. However, after Mrs. Hill's historical incident, outraged officials helped women get elected in political platforms; this was also how sexual harassment is now recognized and criminalized. However, black women have not received global recognition of their distinctive racial discrimination and sexual harassment experiences.
