Intersectionality: A theory developed by Black feminist Kimberle Crenshaw in "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color." Crenshaw argues that categories of identity (race, gender, sexuality, economics, etc.) intersect at the level of the individual, and that the individual experiences each identity in a unique way, impacted by the others.

It is often assumed that people who experience multiple oppressions endure the same obstacles as less-oppressed members of a group. Black women are an example of this; their experiences as women are not the same as women who are white, since they experience racial discrimination; and because they are women, they also do not experience the same racial identity as black men.

The failure to recognize that black women’s experiences are unique in racial and gender politics simply perpetuates oppression. Crenshaw uses outreach programs as examples: women's help groups do not meet the needs of black women, as they are typically researched and implemented based on the problems of white women. (Crenshaw, 1242; summary - my words).