The term “womanhood” is not easily defined. It means something different to everyone; the experience of each woman is unique. The term intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is meant to acknowledge that uniqueness, showing how individual characteristics combine and lead to different modes of privilege and discrimination.
Modern feminism is meant to be analyzed through this intersectional lens, and that’s where Rachel Cargle comes in. An academic, activist and lecturer with an Instagram following of 1.8 million, Rachel creates an online space for public discourse on the intersection of race and womanhood.
Rachel dedicates her work and her platform to starting conversations related to racism and feminism. She believes in educating others and provides public resources for people to deepen their learning. With every post, she sparks important dialogue and provides new tools for learning to be anti-racist or more feminist, tackling harmful stereotypes and assumptions with the by encouraging her followers to spread knowledge and re-evaluate their points of view.
Outside of her social media, she is a lecturer who takes pride in pushing for the public to engage in uncomfortable conversations, making them question their understanding of race and inviting retrospection. Other projects managed by Rachel include The Loveland Foundation which provides therapy resources for black women, an online learning platform called The Great Unlearn, and soon, a book examining feminism through the lens of race.
Rachel Cargle is a great inspiration for women to understand intersectional feminism, and think beyond their own life to understand how others, specifically black women, experience womanhood. There is no productive feminism without intersectionality, and Rachel’s platform serves as a testimony to that – and a reminder for all of us.
Check out Rachel’s Instagram to learn more!