Crenshaw, Kimberlé (intersectionality theorist)

Kimberlé Crenshaw is a legal scholar who developed the concept of intersectionality, which explains how different social identities—such as race, gender, and class—overlap and create unique experiences of discrimination or advantage. Instead of treating these categories separately, intersectionality shows they intersect, shaping people's lives in complex ways. For example, a Black woman may face forms of bias that are different from those encountered by Black men or white women. Crenshaw's work helps us understand and address the ways that overlapping social factors impact people's opportunities and treatment in society.