Diversity & Inclusion Resources

The concept of intersectionality has become a hot topic in academic and activist circles alike. But what exactly does it mean, and why has it emerged as such a vital lens through which to explore how social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability and ethnicity shape one another?

Intersectionality theory has emerged over the past thirty years as a way to think about the avenues by which inequalities are produced. Intersectionality considers the logic by which demographic categories are socially constructed as well as how they operate within the diffusion of power relations. In other words, social and political power are conferred through categories of identity, and these identities bear vastly material effects.

While "intersectionality" circulates as a buzzword, Anna Carastathis joins other critical voices to urge a more careful reading. Challenging the narratives of arrival that surround it, Carastathis argues that intersectionality is a horizon, illuminating ways of thinking that have yet to be realized; consequently, calls to "go beyond" intersectionality are premature.

Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. A scholar of law, critical race theory, and Black feminist thought, Crenshaw used intersectionality to explain the experiences of Black women who - because of the intersections of race, gender, and class - are exposed to exponential forms of marginalization and oppression.

While mentorship has been shown to be critical in helping graduate students persist and complete their studies, and enter upon and succeed in their academic careers, the under-representation of faculty of color and women in higher education greatly reduces the opportunities for graduate students from these selfsame groups to find mentors of their race, ethnicity or gender. Recognizing that mentoring across gender, race and ethnicity inserts levels of complexity to this important process, this book both fills a major gap in the literature and provides an in-depth look at successful mentorships between senior white and under-represented scholars and emerging women scholars and scholars of color.

Through personal narratives and qualitative empirical studies, more than 40 authors expose the daunting challenges faced by academic women of color as they navigate the often hostile terrain of higher education, including hiring, promotion, tenure, and relations with students, colleagues, and administrators. The narratives are filled with wit, wisdom, and concrete recommendations, and provide a window into the struggles of professional women in a racially stratified but increasingly multicultural America.

Privilege is about more than being white, wealthy, and male. In an era when 'diversity' is too often shorthand for 'of color' and/or 'female' the personal and analytical essays in this collection explore the multifaceted nature of social location and consider how gender, class, race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, and religion interact to create nuanced layers of privilege and oppression. The essays guide students to a deep understanding of the dynamics of diversity and stratification, advantage, and power.

A leader in feminist theory discusses such issues as racism, self-acceptance, and mother- and woman-hood.

This book takes the political theory of intersectionality - the most cutting-edge approach to the politics of gender, race, sexual orientation, and class - and introduces it to the general public for the first time.

I was worried about vaginas. I was worried about what we think about vaginas, and even more worried that we don't think about them. . . . So I decided to talk to women about their vaginas, to do vagina interviews, which became vagina monologues. I talked with over two hundred women. I talked to old women, young women, married women, single women, lesbians, college professors, actors, corporate professionals, sex workers, African American women, Hispanic women, Asian American women, Native American women, Caucasian women, Jewish women. At first women were reluctant to talk. They were a little shy. But once they got going, you couldn't stop them. So begins Ensler's hilarious, eye-opening tour into the last frontier at the heart of women.

Analyzes the life stories of sixty Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people along with archival documents, literature, and film. Author Eric Darnell Pritchard provides a theoretical framework for studying the literacy work of Black LGBTQ people, who do not fit into the traditional categories imposed on their language practices and identities. Examining the ways literacy is used to inflict harm, Pritchard discusses how these harmful events prompt Black LGBTQ people to ensure their own survival by repurposing literacy, a process the author calls "restorative literacies." Pritchard highlights restorative literacies in schools, historical records repositories, religious spaces, community events, activist organizations, and digital spheres.