September: Intersectional

Session 1: Relationships

We’ve broken this unit on intersectionality into two sections. The first section, “Relationships” focuses on the frameworks we often use in everyday life to identify ourselves and those around us. As you think about the idea of intersectionality, begin by thinking about how you define your social conditions. Do you experience intersecting oppressions and inequalities, like racism, sexism and/or poverty? If so, can you name some of the social forces, inequalities, and oppressions that make up your intersectional experience? Now think about how others see you and address your life? Do they see and name that intersection or do they focus on only this or that part of your intersectional context.  For example, do they only address you as a Black person, or as a Black woman, but fail to see how homophobia or transphobia is also part of what you must navigate? Likewise, think about how you look at those around you or the folks you are doing this study group with. What parts of their identities do you see when you think about the oppression they have faced? What intersections might you be missing or not seeing when you focus on that single, often dominant, oppression?

Don’t forget to check out the facilitator guide!

Readings

Core Texts

  • Mariame Kaba, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, “Part V: We Must Practice and Experiment: Abolitionist Organizing and Theory,” “Transforming Punishment: What Is Accountability without Punishment,” and “The Practices We Need: #MeToo and Transformative Justice” (p. 103-147)

    • Free e-books are available from Haymarket Books by clicking the link above. If you would like to send a full PDF of We Do This 'Til We Free Us to an incarcerated comrade, please write: dana [at] haymarketbooks.org.

  • Assata Shakur, Assata, Chapters 1-2 (p. 1-44)

  • Monami Maulik, “Organizing in Our Communities Post–September 11th” (2001) in Voices of a People’s History of the United States

  • Vito Russo, “Why We Fight” (1988) in Voices of a People’s History of the United States

  • Robin McDuff, Deanne Pernell, and Karen Saunders, “An Open Letter to the Antirape Movement” (1977) in Remaking Radicalism

  • Daniel Tsang, “Third World Lesbians and Gays Meet” (1980) in Remaking Radicalism

  • Critical Resistance and INCITE! Women of Color against Violence, “Gender Violence and the Prison Industrial Complex” (2001) in Remaking Radicalism

Supplemental Texts

Discussion QUestions

Mariame Kaba, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us

  • What is a participatory defense campaign? (p.110-111)

  • What does “care is the antidote to violence” mean to you? (p.111)

Assata Shakur, Assata

  • Assata shares some of her family history in these chapters. She talks about her grandparents, her mother, and others. What intersectional identities do you see just within her family? As she describes the diversity in her family, how does this complicate our ideas of Blackness?

Rustbelt Radio, “Queering Abolition”

  • Treva Ellison talks about “Queer Abolition” as a way to expand “our geography of the carceral.” How do you currently think about the “geography of the carceral?” What does it mean to expand it? (e.g. relationship dynamics, child protective services, schools, etc.)

  • What are some of the logics that the carceral state uses? (e.g. ostracization, punishment, individualization, etc.) Where/ how do we see those show up outside of the physical prison?

  • How are they defining queer criminality? How is this an intersectional approach?

Audre Lorde, “Learning from the 60s” (1982)

  • In this essay, Lorde writes, “As Black people, if there is one thing we can learn from the 60s, it is how infinitely complex any move for liberation must be.” What does Lorde mean by this? What do you take away from her reflections on Malcom X?