Feminism and Intersectionality:
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In school, most of the content I am assigned is written by white male authors. Of course, white men can write great literature, compose beautiful poetry, and direct iconic films. But they are by no means the only creators worthy of our attention. My exposure to people of color, women, and queer creators requires my own exploration (or the luck of scoring a teacher or professor committed to a diverse syllabus).
As a political science student, I read hundreds of pages a semester on legal philosophy, political theory, and public policy, but these spaces have historically shut out the diverse voices I want to hear. There are only so many hours one can spend reading what is supposed to be a range of political perspectives but can often be boiled down to underlying white supremacy or sexism. And so, I created this “reading list.” A list that is not and will never be complete, covering a range of topics in a variety of formats.
Intersectionality is pervasive in all these works, and helps us understand global struggles for justice through an important lens. In the words of Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, who coined the term:
“Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there.”
Journalism
Housekeepers Versus Harvard: Article and Mini-Documentary
The real-life story of the housekeepers at Harvard’s DoubleTree hotel, and their struggle to unionize and improve working conditions. The group of working-class immigrant women grappled with Harvard’s first female president and Sheryl Sandberg, revealing the socio-economic gaps in mainstream feminism.
Breaking Uniform by Roxane Gay
Gay shares her thoughts on getting dressed, and how body image plays a role in the clothes she chooses.
Alaa Salah Helped Fuel Sudan's Revolution. Now She and Other Women Are Being Sidelined
Following the 2019 Sudanese Revolution, Alaa Salah and other female activists who fought for democracy turned to their next battle: achieving representation in the country’s new government.
Literature
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
This novel, which tells the everyday life of an average Korean woman, mixes fiction with fact, referencing data about gender inequality in South Korea. Cho’s bestselling novel is credited as an important part of contemporary Korean feminism.
Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
A fictional story of a young Palestinian refugee recounting her memories from solitary confinement, retracing her days in Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine, and stories of love, pain, and friendship behind the Palestinian liberation movement.
We Are Water Protectors (read aloud) Written by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Michaela Goade
A picture book about an Ojibwe girl who fights against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Begum
Begum Rokeya’s short sci-fi story flips the script on the Purdah system, which secluded women to the home. The story imagines Ladyland, a utopia where gender roles are reversed, and women rule the outside world.
Poetry
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
An empowering message of persistence in the face of discrimination and ignorance.
Spoken Word
"At The Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020" by Paola Gonzalez & Karla Gutierrez
A spoken word performance about border politics, racism, and the reality of the immigrant experience.
"To Be a Latina Woman on a College Campus" by Janel Pineda, Exiled Poetry Society
An emotional and striking spoken word performance about the range of experiences and emotions Pineda, a Los Angeles-born Salvadoran poet, associates with being a Latina college student.
Music
"Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday
Originally written as a poem by Abel Meeropol, Holiday’s song Strange Fruit is recalled as the Song of the Century and is her best-selling record. The protest anthem raised awareness of racism in the 20th century, and specifically describes the lynching of Black Americans.
"Racist, Sexist Boy" (Live at LA Public Library) by The Linda Lindas
This song was inspired by drummer Mila’s experience with anti-Asian racism during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Linda Lindas are an all-girl Asian American and Latinx punk rock band ranging in age from 10 to 16.
TV
Cable Girls (Las Chicas del Cable)
This TV show follows young Spanish women as they navigate work, family, and gender inequality in rapidly changing 1920s Spain.
Podcast
Believed
The story of how Larry Nassar abused hundreds of women and girls, how his behavior went unnoticed, and how survivors won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history.
As a political science student, I read hundreds of pages a semester on legal philosophy, political theory, and public policy, but these spaces have historically shut out the diverse voices I want to hear. There are only so many hours one can spend reading what is supposed to be a range of political perspectives but can often be boiled down to underlying white supremacy or sexism. And so, I created this “reading list.” A list that is not and will never be complete, covering a range of topics in a variety of formats.
Intersectionality is pervasive in all these works, and helps us understand global struggles for justice through an important lens. In the words of Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, who coined the term:
“Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there.”
Journalism
Housekeepers Versus Harvard: Article and Mini-Documentary
The real-life story of the housekeepers at Harvard’s DoubleTree hotel, and their struggle to unionize and improve working conditions. The group of working-class immigrant women grappled with Harvard’s first female president and Sheryl Sandberg, revealing the socio-economic gaps in mainstream feminism.
Breaking Uniform by Roxane Gay
Gay shares her thoughts on getting dressed, and how body image plays a role in the clothes she chooses.
Alaa Salah Helped Fuel Sudan's Revolution. Now She and Other Women Are Being Sidelined
Following the 2019 Sudanese Revolution, Alaa Salah and other female activists who fought for democracy turned to their next battle: achieving representation in the country’s new government.
Literature
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
This novel, which tells the everyday life of an average Korean woman, mixes fiction with fact, referencing data about gender inequality in South Korea. Cho’s bestselling novel is credited as an important part of contemporary Korean feminism.
Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
A fictional story of a young Palestinian refugee recounting her memories from solitary confinement, retracing her days in Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine, and stories of love, pain, and friendship behind the Palestinian liberation movement.
We Are Water Protectors (read aloud) Written by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Michaela Goade
A picture book about an Ojibwe girl who fights against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Begum
Begum Rokeya’s short sci-fi story flips the script on the Purdah system, which secluded women to the home. The story imagines Ladyland, a utopia where gender roles are reversed, and women rule the outside world.
Poetry
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
An empowering message of persistence in the face of discrimination and ignorance.
Spoken Word
"At The Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020" by Paola Gonzalez & Karla Gutierrez
A spoken word performance about border politics, racism, and the reality of the immigrant experience.
"To Be a Latina Woman on a College Campus" by Janel Pineda, Exiled Poetry Society
An emotional and striking spoken word performance about the range of experiences and emotions Pineda, a Los Angeles-born Salvadoran poet, associates with being a Latina college student.
Music
"Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday
Originally written as a poem by Abel Meeropol, Holiday’s song Strange Fruit is recalled as the Song of the Century and is her best-selling record. The protest anthem raised awareness of racism in the 20th century, and specifically describes the lynching of Black Americans.
"Racist, Sexist Boy" (Live at LA Public Library) by The Linda Lindas
This song was inspired by drummer Mila’s experience with anti-Asian racism during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Linda Lindas are an all-girl Asian American and Latinx punk rock band ranging in age from 10 to 16.
TV
Cable Girls (Las Chicas del Cable)
This TV show follows young Spanish women as they navigate work, family, and gender inequality in rapidly changing 1920s Spain.
Podcast
Believed
The story of how Larry Nassar abused hundreds of women and girls, how his behavior went unnoticed, and how survivors won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history.
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