‘Roots of Intersectionality’ Part 3
with Amu and Chi Chi
‘Intersectionality’ is a word you hear around a lot in some feminist spaces — at Grabbing Back we call ourselves ‘intersectional feminists.’ So it’s about time we looked at what exactly that means. The term ‘intersectionality’ was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989, but the concept had deep roots. So this month our podcast (and article) focuses on those deep roots - the context that Crenshaw was writing into.
This is a 3-part podcast in which we asked people in our community to reflect on some key pieces of theory that shaped the landscape of feminism before the term ‘intersectionality’ was coined. In Part 3, our contributors reflect on the poem ‘Rosalie’ by Angelina Weld Grimke, and an extract from ‘Lessons from the 1960s,’ by Audre Lorde.
Podcast overview
Over the three parts of this podcast, we look at extracts from the following pieces of theory:
Part 1
Extract 1: Combahee River Collective Statement — reflection: Anna
Extract 2: ‘Women, Race and Class,’ by Angela Davis — reflection: Honesty
Part 2
Extract 3: ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ by bell hooks — reflection: Sophie Lewis
Extract 4: ‘Your Silence Will Not Protect You,’ by Audre Lorde — reflection: Jess Leigh
Part 3
Extract 5: ‘Rosalie’ by Angelina Weld Grimke — reflection: Amu Gibb
Extract 6: ‘Lessons from the 1960s,’ by Audre Lorde — reflection: Chi Chi
Extract 5:
’Rosalie’ | Poem by Angelina Weld Grimke
Angelina Weld Grimke was a teacher, poet and playwright, working in the first half of the 20th century. She is far less well known than the other authors we have explored in these podcasts, and there is limited information about her life. However, we know she was mixed race, and race was an important theme in her work, especially as she was one of the first women of colour to have her play performed in America. Her work also explores her suppressed sexual identity, and our extract is taken from the poem Rosalie (or Rosabella), one of her lesbian love poems.
Reflection 5: Amu Gibb
Amu is a gender nonconforming crafter and bodyworker. They wage labour as a bike mechanic and massage therapist in London. Spends their free time resting, playing music, unlearning, and conspiring to end the capitalist, white supremacist, cis-heteropatriarchy so we can play around and build the queer utopia.
“wage labour” — work, with implications of
”cis-heteropatriarchy” — system in which cis-gendered, heterosexual men hold power
”queerness”
Amu: they/them
Extract 6:
’Lessons from the 1960s’ | Speech by Audre Lorde
As mentioned in Part 2 of the podcast, Audre Lorde was a black, lesbian, feminist activist. Our second extract from her works is also taken from ‘Sister Outsider’, but is an extract taken from the speech ‘Lessons from the 1960s’, which she delivered at Havard University in 1982. This speech looks to the future, and all marginalised and oppressed identities allying together to fight the oppression each community experiences both individually and collectively.
Reflection 6: Chi Chi
Chi Chi reflects on our final extract of the podcast, from Audre Lorde’s work.
Chi Chi is based in North London. She works as a primary school educator, and works in management positions in schools. She is a lover of lyrics and chats that spark understanding.
Chi chi: she/her