The Internals of Intersectionality

The Internals of Intersectionality

As I look around at our political and social landscape today, I see many things, that can be traced to one another or linked to movements in the past, and one thing can always be found within it all. Despite such a concept being seemingly new-age, it has always existed; only now its name is more widely recognized: Intersectionality.

Intersectionality in the Election

Thanks to (in my experience) the last voting cycle, intersectionality was a big topic before and after the election, as many people investigated the voter makeup to predict which demographics would or should vote for who, which matters as it has to do with every part of your identity, race, gender, class, heritage, sexuality, etc and how all these classifications interact with each other and shape the way you view society and the way it views you, in other words they were looking to see if minorities voted in what they perceived would be their best interest based on the candidates, ie. Expecting Hispanics to vote against Trump based on his immigration policies or trying to spot misogyny based on strained support (even from other women) for Kamala Harris simply because she's a woman.

How Is It Fluid? What Good Does It Do?

While such a concept may not seem “fluid” these examples show how it functions, as its treated almost as a membership when it comes to certain issues, where a discussion may be about privilege, a black women can speak to how she views it from the lens of being an African American and also from the lens of being a woman, as both identities carry a history of oppression in different ways. The practice of acknowledging intersectionality allows for the fluidity of beliefs, morals, and opinions, as instead of assuming one's whole identity, you acknowledge the parts of it as well. This can be pushed further when bringing immigration and heritage into the mix as well, as you can't assume an African immigrant would hold the same opinions as an African American. In other words, this development breaks barriers in the way we understand one another and helps marginalized communities to resonate and unify against their shared oppression, as unnecessary as it may seems it gives context to every interaction and statement one makes.

Intersectionality Is Her Middle Name

Intersectionality I feel was a big part in the making of Janelle Monae’s ArchAndroid, alongside her closely related The Electric Lady and Metropolis: The Chase Suite. Where we follow a persona of Janelle’s making named Cindi Mayweather, a Black, Android, created to entertain in a cyberpunk world where machines are separated from humans when they aren't serving them. Even in the exposition we have examples of intersectionality taking place, with struggles of being not only a black woman but also an Android, which comes with an entirely new level of oppression. This identity informs the way she consumes and moves through the society she lives in. This conceptual trilogy’s main character is what I envision an embodiment of intersectionality will grow into in 20-30 years, as all of Cindi’s strife from her different identities turns her into a revolutionary who rises above her perceived ceiling in the name of liberation.

Sources:

Dittmar, Kelly. “Gender Is a Persistent Force in Presidential Elections.” Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/kellydittmar/2024/10/30/gender-is-a-persistent-force-in-presidential-elections/.

Masquelier-Page, Alice. “How 5 Key Demographic Groups Voted in 2024: AP Votecast.” The Associated Press, 11 Nov. 2024, www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/how-5-key-demographic-groups-voted-in-2024-ap-votecast/.