Can we get a grip on Intersectionality?

In linguistics, we learn that definitions are often contextual. That is to say a term can be misappropriated or specifically designated to mean something other than originally intended given certain context and conditions. So, for example, here is a term that has been giving me headaches, recently” INTERSECTIONALITY!

A dictionary definition (Seventh Collegiate Dictionary) is:

the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

This term has historically been used to indicate inclusivity, that is to say to recognize my whole self, as I am all of me, not just one thing. All of these different aspects of who I am intersect to form my whole identity – my gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. When I am at a disadvantage or somehow being discriminated against, it may very well be because of my race, religion, gender, etc. that all impact upon and intersect with each other. For example, it is known that black transgender women are at a significantly higher risk for being subjected to extreme violence than virtually any other group in the United States. When did we. begin to use this term to express “all of me?”

According to the Columbia Journalism Review, “Intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and legal scholar. In a paper for the University of Chicago Legal Forum, Crenshaw wrote that traditional feminist ideas and antiracist policies exclude black women because they face overlapping discrimination unique to them.

The term was intended to be one of affirmation, so that we see ALL of each other, and not just focus on one aspect of an individual, understanding the many reasons for discrimination, and hopefully how we can counteract this. We all have many different identity points, facets of our lives and do not want to be reduced to a caricature of any one aspect of who we are. Further, when different reasons for discrimination compound each other, there are members of our community who need our advocacy and concern even more,

So, what has happened in our present world of contention where too many causes and issues are too often conflated so that instead of the intended meaning of this term where we are to see all of the many aspects of what makes us an individual or group and be cognizant of any disadvantage that accrues due to that total picture, too many among us are reducing the many variegated aspects of who and what we are to simplistic and erroneous minimal categories. Here all victims are victims and all oppressors are oppressors summarily without looking at the nuanced reality of different groups and their stories and challenges. Israel is NOT an absolute oppressive annihilator (though there are policies that may not be well-informed on many levels), all immigrants are not suspect (any more than every group has its suspect members), all people of color are not lazy (we all have those too!), all Jews are not rich, all Muslims are not terrorists and so on…. We are all people of many identities – I for example, am a mom, wife, woman, observant Jew, supporter of the value of all lives and social justice, an academic, a creative thinker, and so much more. Do NOT reduce me to a bleeding heart liberal or call me names because I support Israel and DO NOT tell me that I cannot love Israel (though disagree vehemently with policies and practices of its government and some of its own identity groups) and feel that we must 100% support black lives, Muslim people of faith, help immigrants, and so on. I live by the foundational Jewish belief that we must respect every human being for G-d is at the core of each and every one.

When I see and value and accept you as a person of faith, gender identity, nationality, racial grouping, and all of the many other facets of who you are as a complete human being, THAT IS INTERSECTIONALITY. When one says you cannot support Black Lives Matter (even with troubling statements in its position statements with which I vehemently disagree) and love Israel and be a person of privilege (due to my racial identity, but not my gender nor my religious grouping) and otherwise reduce us to the A or NOT-A binary options, THIS IS NOT INTERSECTIONALITY.

Our identities are complex and nuanced and multi-faceted, just like each of the elements of those identities. Our tenth commandment teaches not to covet your neighbor’s identity or belongings, acknowledging that we are all many different things. That is what makes us interesting. Instead of looking at labels, let us work on creating affinity groups in a meaningful way. I was learning with my daughter’s two nine-year-old and six-year-old daughters this morning about Tisha B’Av, the saddest and most mournful day in the Jewish calendar, that will be on Thursday. We were talking about the destruction of the Jewish Temple due to Sinat Hinam, causeless hatred, which I think is the result of the MISUSE of the terms INTERSECTIONALITY in our world today and how we have to build our community with good people with constructive and caring values, REGARDLESS of the various identity points that may “mark” us as part of this “good” group or that “not good” group. They got it!

Can we please all take on this lesson? I see and care but will never discriminate against you because of the religious garb you wear; what your gender is – binary or not, what is the color of your skin; the language that is your mother tongue…. I SEE YOU and I understand that these ARE IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOU. What I care deeply about is that we do not conflate these identities inappropriately and instead use our shared values of caring, sharing, forgiving and giving, and humility and faith in the greater good and so much else to build consortiums and communities that are healing and accepting. COME ONE COME ALL, AND BRING ALL OF YOU to the party! Then hopefully my headaches will go away.

DeSean Jackson, Public School Principals, Orthodox Jewish Rabbis and Political Figures

So, I was just inundated with reactions to statements made by DeSean Jackson last week, including a friend and colleague who asked me to write about this (Thank you IG). First of all, in terms of full disclosure, I had no idea who this person who caused such an uproar is and had to be educated as to his being a team member of the Eagles (football team for Philadelphia, for those of you as outside of the sports awareness loop as I generally am, much to the chagrin of my family and too many friends!) and his importance to them as a great wide receiver (whatever that is!). So, this is what I have figured out…. This Eagles wide receiver who is supposed to be really great and very valuable to the team, and therefore probably admired by and a potential role model to many made comments that were clearly anti-Semitic (as well as incorrectly attributed) causing a great stir and angst among many.

As one who believes that we best learn when putting isolated incidents in context, let us concider the time-honored words of Tom Lehrer, in his song, National Brotherhood Week.

Oh, the white folks Hate the black folks And the black folks Hate the white folks To hate all but the right folks Is an old established rule

But during National Brotherhood Week National Brotherhood Week Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark are dancing cheek to cheek, it's Fun to eulogize the People you despise As long you don't let them in your school…

Oh the Protestants hate the Catholics And the Catholics hate the Protestants And the Hindus hate the Muslims And everybody hates the Jews, but during

National Brotherhood Week National Brotherhood Week, it's National Everyone-Smile-At -One-Another-hood Week, be Nice to people who are Inferior to you It's only for a week so have no fear Be grateful that it doesn't last all year

Source: https://genius.com/Tom-lehrer-national-brotherhood-week-lyrics

Then of course there is the writing of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, on whose tombstone, one iteration of the following sentiment appears:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Going further, there are too many various versions of this sentiment, including the very dark and chilling poem by Maurice Ogden entitled The Hangman which you are free to look at here:

https://www.edhelper.com/poetry/The_Hangman_by_Maurice_Ogden.htm

We get it! People hate people who do not agree with them; do not think like them, do not live like them, do not look like them, and simply are deemed, by whatever arbitrary criteria, as not worthy of their approval. This hatred may be intentional, inherited, representative of social constructs, conscious or subconscious. Unfortunately and generally, the permission to actively exercise this hatred is just clearly ingrained in our society. So, there is nothing we can do about it, right? Wrong! WE CAN and DO make a difference.

Two stories that happened to our son, Brian prove this. We are a Jewish Day School family and our three older daughters went completely though these schools. This was clearly our intention for our youngest, our son, but the school he went to was not, to be clear and concise, a safe or validating space for him and the other school we wanted to consider did not want to take him on as a student. So, we had our first experience with the Public School system; in our area, specifically and thankfully the Cheltenham Township Public Schools and wonderful Dr. Pamula Hart, conscientious Mrs. Irene Parker, fabulous teachers and many opportunities throughout his education. The first incident was in elementary school when a group of boys took Brian’s Kipah on the playground during recess, which he wore all of the time along with Tzitzit, to school, and began tossing it and playing “Keep Away.” Dr. Hart would not have it! She spent hours and hours talking to the boys who did this, the by-standers who watched, Brian, the parents of all involved and then brought everyone together in conversation for apologies, to learn more about each other and to understand that we need to work and play and learn together with respect. The lesson was well learned by all. We had no more incidents until ….

In grade seven, Brian was sitting in class and the girl behind him started drawing a swastika on his neck. She was immediately removed from class, I was called out of a faculty meeting I was running and told about the situation. I ascertained that Brian was fine and then asked about the girl. They told me this meant an immediate expulsion as Cheltenham is a No Place for Hate School System. I then asked them to back up – I had one question – is this girl brand new to the school system? The principal answered that she was and how did I know to ask? My response was that there was no way a student who had been there for the previous year, during which one third of the year was a study of the Holocaust and all that went wrong as well as lessons learned would do that. I could not believe that students educated for years in this school system, which valued midot (standards of behavior) as well as any other aspect of the educational system, would commit such an infraction. I indicated that she needed education not expulsion. The faculty then worked with me to come up with a two-week course to “catch her up” to the rest of the community regarding this important topic and she would serve an in-school suspension while she was working through the material. At the end of her study, she wrote a beautiful apology to Brian and they became good friends. This was the brilliance of Dr. Hart and Mrs. Parker and the faculty of Cheltenham Public Schools -- to educate, process and carefully watch for and oversee change – they were successful! We were thrilled!

I hear it and I see it … this lack of respect, care, knowledge of the other and the fear it generates. That is precisely why I spend so much time working across faith lines, trying to negotiate relationships between those who may not have knowledge of each other. I absolutely love and cherish my friends and colleagues who are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and across other religious spectrums and within the continuums of these communities. We speak respectfully, we ask questions, we genuinely care for each other and ALL OF US are doing this in concert with our respective faith’s foundational beliefs providing direction and energy. I often state that I have far more in common with these individuals than with those in my own faith community who forget that a most critical part of being religiously observant is to live with humility, not hubris; to remember that no one person has the complete picture; to consider how your story impacts on others and theirs on you; and that ultimately, we need each other in important and continuing ways. These relationships are healing, validating and meaningful and the work we all do together is so important and MAKES HUGE DIFFERENCES!

For those who prefer to play the “who said this” game, it’s so easy to get angry and to feel justified in one’s own reactions… The fact of the matter is that THERE ARE MEMBERS OF ALL OF OUR GROUPS THAT ACT WITH SUCH LACK OF CONCERN WITH OTHERS. I have often heard people, for example, in more religiously pitched communities claim that their way of life is the best and ensures proper behavior. Yet, I can give you a too long list of Orthodox Rabbinic authorities who DO NOT ACT according to the standards of behavior DEMANDED by our system of life (and to be sure, there are many, many WONDERFUL Orthodox Rabbis who do!). My point is that when we hear about Priests, Rabbis, people in religious authority and people in important positions of political leadership whose actions and words are followed by many and should be standing as role models act inappropriately, I get far more upset than when this is the case with, from my perspective, a random member of one sports team.

But, I know all too well that many will look at DeSean Jackson and others like him as their role models before considering their national or religious leaders and here is where he and others like him have to learn that with the privilege of their position comes responsibility. Education, such as that which our son and his school community received in his public school education and so many receive in wonderful educational institutions – both private and public; the example that is provided by responsible and intelligent leaders in our community who understand that with THEIR position of privilege comes a platform with great responsibility – this is what we should be looking at, publicizing and paying attention to. If we take those who misuse and abuse their platforms off of them (hint to social media here!) and give that space to those who are sharing meaningful and caring and helpful messages, maybe we will not have the problem of DeSean Jackson, his words and those who have not benefitted from positive role models who follow him and inflame our already fractured world further!

The Peasants are revolting!

They certainly are! Okay, here is a trivia question for anyone reading this from the Milford Mill High School Graduation classes of 1970 and 1971 in Baltimore Maryland. Do you remember that line? It was from the class of 1971’s Farewell Assembly as our friends, one year older, were graduating and leaving us in charge of the school! It was a joke that garnered appropriate laughter. However, in our contemporary reality, the humor is lost. Everyone is revolting and everyone is finding each other revolting, unfortunately. Forget tolerance, we have lost a sense of common human decency in too many instances. Civil rebellion has been an important aspect of our history on many levels. We have seen instances of when such reaction held those in power who abused others in check and we have held onto this as a right as civilians and human beings and members of governed entities.

In my work with members of other faith communities, with learners of all ages and religious and ethnic identities, in my ongoing communications with many wonderful Orthodox Jewish Rabbis who are working to insure that their communities are inclusive, and just in conversations with close and beloved people in my life with whom I may differ significantly in terms of politics or be different in level of religious observance, there is mutual and shared respect and true love for each other. We learn from each other, share our ideas and maintain our individual identity and integrity while insuring we do not compromise that of the other. This is a skill set that many of us have been taught, to have civil conversations and caring interactions, and yet, too often people are unable to do so. How sad.

I recently received an email from somone with whom I have sporadic content, when I wished them health and safety and expressed my hopes for healing of our fractured world, which is generally my message as many of you know. This is the response I received:

The civil unrest is very troubling. We need to look into this very deeply To determine our destiny.

My first reaction was to say yes, I agree that we need to look at how people cannot talk to each other or listen to each other and this indeed does compromise the viability of our destiny. But then, I realized this was not the context of the statement. As monuments are being taken down, and so many symbols of who we are collectively are being questioned in terms of their intentions and agenda, people are clearly drawing their lines in the sand and screaming, yelling and kicking to maintain them. WE ARE IN THIS MESS TOGETHER BUT ARE FIGHTING EACH OTHER AS ENEMIES! How did this happen?

I have been reading Yuval Noah Hariri’s amazing book Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind, in which he speaks about how we have lost our ways as humans while screaming about our religious identities, political alliances, ethnic identities, racial affiliations – and maligning anyone not sharing them. The most recent concept of intersectionality where ALL VICTIMS identify with ALL OTHER VICTIMS they identify as such and then vilify the rest of us is a poignant and sad example of this dynamic. As Hariri discusses how we need each other more than ever given the many overwhelming threats to our continued existence globally, how are we to accept and cherish our differences and consider the notion that we may even learn something significant from each other, widening our own parameters of understanding of our vast human family?

There is a great deal of Gemara/Talmudic discussion about speech and blasphemy, posing the query as to whether or not such use of words is a “ma’aseh,” i.e. a concrete deed that is completed, or not? As words can and do definitely lead to death and horrible consequences, it is clear that speech is indeed a facilitative action, a concrete deed, with very real consequences. How many of us have heard of someone who died by suicide due to not being able to withstand verbal bullying any longer? I feel like this is clearly the situation we are in.

We ALL need to continue to speak and act on behalf of causes in which we believe. This freedom of speech is important and a most foundational element of who we are as thinking, intentional beings -- we may respectfully revolt but this is not revolting nor should it be seen as such. That being said, we also have to remember a basic rule of communications theory – when I speak I must be cognizant and aware of what you hear; otherwise my message will not get through. I DO CARE AND CRY for the injustices in our world at present against Blacks, Jews, Muslims, Women, LGBTQ persons, children without advocates, immigrants and all others who are not accorded the full panoply of human rights to which we are all entitled as being created in the image of G-d. Many who disagree say I am a bleeding heart liberal or being “lenient” in my approach to law; but I am going with several Orthodox Jewish Rabbis for whom I have deep respect who say this is not being “Meikel” or lenient but rather observing strictly the most important and fundamental principles upon which all Jewish law is based. As Hariri states in his study, this belief is shared in the history of our humanity by many thought systems and religious structures. It is individuals who have forgotten this and those of us who have not have the responsibility to remind others that we are to remember that each person is important and special, has an expectation of basic human rights, and when one person is not accorded such, we are ALL compromised.

At this time of global climatic compromise, too many instances of enmity, lack of acceptance of others, and so much else that has taken us many steps backwards in our shared journey, let us commit ourselves to accepting each other and listening, I mean truly listening when people are at risk…even if and especially when we do not agree... Because a system that does not protect one group of its citizens and population will ultimately abuse all of them, when that purpose is served. We in the Jewish community say: All of Israel is responsible for each other. In terms of all of us as the children of Adam and Eve, let us consider that All of Humanity is responsible for each other, peasants, or otherwise!