Intersectionality Reflection

When I registered for topics in women writers, I was actually unaware that the topic this semester focussed on African American writers. I left the first lecture confident that I would enjoy the rest of the course, and eager to begin the readings. Throughout the semester I had the opportunity to read texts written by a variety of impressive women. The texts touch on different important movements, themes, struggles and historical moments. Each author uses their unique perspective and outlook on life as well as their upbringing to create meaningful pieces of work. This course left me with a better understanding of certain times in history and African American women’s struggles for equality. Moreover, this course introduced me to a plethora of women authors and I look forward

Learning about how someone’s different social markings are inextricable from one another helped me analyze the different readings. It also made me think about different feminist movements and how they usually cater to white women only. The topic of intersectionality was noticeable in all the readings and in Beyonce’s Lemonade. Learning about intersectionality has given me a new way to view different forms of oppression. The battles that white women face are not comparable to the battles that African American women face. One’s race has to be taken into consideration when thinking about someone’s life experiences. Intersectionality has made me think about my own privilege as a white woman. I may face certain obstacles because I am not a man, but I still have the privilege of being white. I can read about different forms of oppression that African American women have faced, but I cannot properly relate or fully understand the struggles. This course and the readings have made me more conscious about my ways of viewing different forms of feminism. Feminism needs to understand intersectionality and include all types of