Papers by Nia A . D . Langley
Social Science Research Network, May 17, 2021
In 1989, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the legal theory of intersectionality in her semi... more In 1989, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the legal theory of intersectionality in her seminal article Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex. Through this theoretical framework, Crenshaw explained how Black women often face a harm of combined racism and sexism and a unique harm as Black women — not a summation of race and gender discrimination, but as Black women. This article uses intersectionality in the context of employment discrimination and police brutality to discuss the invisibility of Black women and their unique experiences in life and death. When society and the law consider who is implicated and victimized in these domains, Black women hardly come to mind. This renders Black women invisible and their ability to make claims impossible. This invisibility precludes Black women from enjoying legal protections, social value, and freedom. Through narrative and storytelling, this article examines how historical false narratives have contributed to existing intersectional injustices Black women face in employment discrimination and police brutality. The article argues that until society and the law unearth, acknowledge, and contextualize these historical lies and omissions and their implications, Black women will continue to suffer from invisibility.
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Papers by Nia A . D . Langley