Intersectionality from "summary" of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Intersectionality is not a new word, but it is a word that has been reanimated and repurposed to describe a particular kind of violence that is often invisible. Most of us know what it means to be violated, but it is a different kind of violation to be told that your pain is not unique, that your suffering isn’t special, that your body is not your own. Intersectionality attempts to map the ways in which violence can accrue in the body. How a certain kind of violence doesn’t just come from the hands of a man you love, but from the very institutions that claim to save and protect you. It is the way the body can become a wreckage, a site of multiple traumas that are not only personal, but also historical, political, and social. Intersectionality asks us to pause, to see that the body can be a source of violence and not just a site of violence. It is an argument against the simplicity of blame, against the easy mapping of cause and effect. It is a kind of reckoning with the past, a recognition that the body is a complicated archive of pain and joy, of love and loss. It is a call to remember that the body is not just a body, but a body that has been shaped by histories of violence and oppression. Intersectionality is a way of understanding that our bodies are not just individual, but also collective. That the pain we carry is not just our own, but also the pain of those who came before us. It is a way of seeing that our bodies are not just flesh and bone, but also maps of power and privilege. It is a way of recognizing that our pain is not just personal, but also political, that our suffering is not just private, but also public. It is a way of knowing that our bodies are not just bodies, but also stories, stories that are always in conversation with other stories, stories that are always intersecting, always overlapping. Intersectionality is a word that asks us to see differently, to think differently, to feel differently. It is a word that asks us to pay attention to the ways in which power and privilege shape our bodies, our lives, our world. It is a word that asks us to be vigilant, to be critical, to be compassionate. It is a word that asks us to remember that our bodies are not just sites of pain, but also sites of resistance, sites of possibility, sites of love. It is a word
Similar Posts
Journalistic integrity challenged at every turn
The quest for truth in journalism is a winding road fraught with obstacles at every turn. In the pursuit of a story, journalist...
Frederick Douglass fought against slavery
Frederick Douglass, a prominent figure in Black history, was a fierce advocate for the abolition of slavery. Born into slavery ...
Cultural backgrounds influence our beliefs and behaviors
Our cultural backgrounds shape the lens through which we view the world and influence our beliefs and behaviors in profound way...
Building relationships across racial lines is beneficial
Beverly Daniel Tatum discusses the importance of building relationships across racial lines in order to promote understanding a...
Create a culture of belonging
Creating a culture of belonging is crucial in building an inclusive organization. This involves fostering an environment where ...
Fostering mutual understanding and respect
Fostering mutual understanding and respect is not merely a lofty ideal, but a crucial necessity in our interactions with one an...
Women's stories are powerful and important
Women's stories have always been dismissed, overlooked, or distorted by society. These stories are often labeled as insignifica...
Men must challenge sexism
Men who want to genuinely embody feminist principles must actively challenge sexism in their daily lives. This means not only r...
Challenges of fame and notoriety
Growing up in the public eye was not easy for me. As a child, I did not fully understand the implications of my mother's fame a...
Call for unity and solidarity among marginalized communities
Malcolm X emphasizes the importance of unity and solidarity among marginalized communities. He stresses the need for these comm...