Intersectional Art is What We All Need

CONTRA-TIEMPO exists and operates in the in-between. First, as Latines there already exists the complexity of having African, Indigenous and European ancestry. Then, inside CONTRA-TIEMPO we are native, black, asian, women, gender non-binary, coming from working class families, etc. These identities converging in one space to create art that is itself intersectional is what makes CONTRA-TIEMPO’s work so accessible to a diverse audience.

What is Intersectionality?

The term “intersectionality” was coined by law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, who defined it as “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” Intersectionality offers a lens through which to examine the multiple layers of inequality that affect an individual. Considering these compounding effects allows us to see and understand how experiences differ between people, even among a common group.

Intersectionality theory is important because it emphasizes the fact that crises affect different people in different ways, and that recognizing those differences is necessary for building empathy and tackling injustice and inequality effectively. It allows us to analyze co-occurring and mutually reinforcing forms of inequality. The Center for Intersectional Justice explains it as “fighting discrimination within discrimination, tackling inequalities within inequalities, and protecting minorities within minorities.”

The theory was originally centered on intersectional feminism, which highlights how women face multiple and varying levels of discrimination. For example, a woman of color who is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community will face more discrimination than a straight white woman. Today, intersectionality has spread beyond feminism to describe the ways in which members of marginalized groups can face stacked inequalities that stem from multiple facets of their identities.

Intersectionality Examples

Understanding intersectional identity, or the different aspects of your identity that may expose you to discrimination, is a great way to get a feel for the intricacies of this theory. Common categories of your intersectional identity include gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, social class, and more.

These markers of our identity overlap, and therefore cannot be fully addressed in isolation. For example, the issue of the wage gap between men and women should also address the wage inequalities among women themselves. While women earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar a man makes, those women experience that gap differently:

Latinx women earn 54 cents to the dollar
Native American women earn 57 cents to the dollar
Black women earn 62 cents to the dollar
AAPI women earn 90 cents to the dollar

Intersectionality allows us to parse those differences and address the finer points of inequality.

So, how do we address those points? Kimberlé Crenshaw, in an interview with Columbia Law, explains: “We try to take ideas and make them into hands-on tools that advocates and communities can use. Part of it is public education. We use art and other projects to show how people are experiencing intersectional harms, such as mothers of women killed by the police, or young girls expelled from school. We work directly with advocates and communities to develop ways they can better see these problems and better intervene in advocacy.”

Ruby, Stanley, and Maria getting down in rehearsal!

Here at CONTRA-TIEMPO, we use art to accomplish exactly that! Our physically intense and politically astute performance work moves audiences to imagine what’s possible. We create communities where all people are awakened to a sense of themselves as artists and social change agents who move through the world with compassion and confidence.

As a Los Angeles-based activist dance company, we wield the power of art to influence social change, live out our values, and teach others to engage in art activism! Explore our engagement offerings, upcoming events and performances, and virtual engagements for a taste of what we bring to the Los Angeles community and beyond! Join our familia and connect with us, or support our movement by purchasing from our shop or donating today!

Bibliography:

Coleman, A. L. (2019, November 6). What is intersectionality? A brief history of the theory. Time. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://time.com/5560575/intersectionality-theory/
Gender and racial inequity during crisis: The pay gap. TIME'S UP Foundation. (2021, July 30). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://timesupfoundation.org/work/times-up-pay-up/gender-and-racial-inequity-during-crisis-the-pay-gap/
Intersectional feminism: What it means and why it matters right now. UN Women – Headquarters. (2020, July 1). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters
Kimberlé Crenshaw on Intersectionality, more than two decades later. Columbia Law School. (2017, June 8). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectionality-more-two-decades-later
What Is Intersectionality. Center for Intersectional Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.intersectionaljustice.org/what-is-intersectionality