Why

 Society  Must  Address  Intersectional  Discrimination  

JUNE  14,  2021    •  T A B I T H A   W A L T O N   &   A L E X I S   S A U N D E R S -­‐‑ D A V I S  

What should every American know? This question has long been debated, discussed,
and deliberated. And while answers need to come from all of us—not just a powerful
few—young people have often been excluded from these conversations. A partnership
between Chicago Public Schools and the Aspen Institute’s program on Citizenship
and American Identity aims to change that. Together they seek to elevate youth
perspectives, beliefs, and values as vital to our national conversation of civic
purpose.

The following blog is part of our series featuring perspectives from Chicago young
people, interrogating and exploring key terms identified by Chicago Public School
Participate Civics students. Tabitha Walton and Alexis Saunders-Davis are 11th
graders at Orr High School. In this piece, they explain why society must address
intersectional discrimination—the dual influences of racism and misogyny that affect
women of color, particularly Black women.

Many Black content creators speak out on the daily injustices that we as Black people
face on a regular basis. Yet when they do, their videos are removed from the platform
and they face backlash for sharing their experiences and opinions on race. This
frustrates us as Black women because we know what it’s like to have your feelings
invalidated due to hatred over your skin color, gender, or both.

This country is built on systems propped up by sexism, racism, and white privilege—
as Black women we encounter this every day. It’s time to recognize and call out white
supremacy for what it is. When white people are held up as the superior race, it
results in the oppression of Black people and other minority groups. Historically, this
is why the civil rights movement was so important. Black leaders marched,
protested, preached, and sacrificed their lives to demand that Blacks be treated fairly.
Ida B. Wells and Daisy Bates were key figures in this ongoing movement. Wells was
a Black investigative journalist who reported on and educated people about lynchings
in the South. She faced both sexism and racism throughout her career but she didn’t
let that stop her from speaking out against the injustice happening all around her.
Daisy Bates was the head of Little Rock’s NAACP and owned a statewide newspaper
with her husband. Because of the sexism within the civil rights movement, Baker lost
her position in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. These are just two of
the names we know. There are so many other Black women throughout history who
have been overlooked but played critical roles in social movements for justice.

Like both Bates and Wells, Black women continue to experience a duality of
discrimination: misogyny and racism. We think it is important for everyone to
understand how race and gender discrimination intersect because as Black women, we
face both regularly. Black women are often stereotyped and oversexualized at a young
age. What we wear and how we act are constantly policed. We also face double
standards. While being tan is admired in places like Hollywood, Black women
everywhere experience colorism— the discrimination against those with darker
complexions. This is the legacy of slavery and colonialization. White supremacy has
imposed eurocentric beauty standards declaring those with lighter skin and looser hair
textures to be more attractive. Black women and girls are constantly put down or
bullied because of the way we look—and this loathing is internalized, too. There are
stories of Black women bleaching their skin because they hated their darker
complexions. Yet when other people, especially fairer, non-Black folx, appropriate
our hairstyles and facial features, they become the new standards of beauty. This all
takes a mental toll on our self-perception.

In order to promote social change around issues like misogyny and racism, we need
more people to get informed. If Black and brown communities understood the way in
which our historical oppression continues to affect Black people today, more people
would be willing to stand up against all forms of injustice and oppression. By learning
about activists and movements, we can develop a consciousness around the issues that
we care about. The more you understand your rights and powers, the more you can act
on them. It gives you the courage to stand up against any injustices you see or
experience. It leads to real change.