hello and welcome to lecture number 67 this is topic 4.14 Interlocking Systems of Oppression there's two learning objectives today and the first is describe the concept of Interlocking Systems of Oppression and its connection to earlier black feminist activism Interlocking Systems of Oppression build on the concept of intersectionality that we discussed in the previous topic essentially this concept argues that social categories such as race gender class sexuality and ability are interconnected this reflects the core idea of intersectionality these identities interact with social systems like Education Health Care the economy the justice system and housing their interactions create unequal outcomes for individuals resulting in either privilege or in the context we're focusing on today oppression particularly for African-Americans this concept examines the various ways in which a person's identity can lead to Greater disadvantages or oppression in education for example we see differences in reading scores among different groups graduation rates and access to college degrees historically during the Jim Crow era segregated schools systematically denied African-Americans access to Quality education perpetuating inequality for Generations in healthcare we see disparities in access to Medical Services the incidence of chronic diseases among specific groups and varying Health outcomes in examining Healthcare disparities we also need to consider systematic factors like unequal resource allocation and structural racism within medical institutions the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 was a turning point but but many African-American communities initially face barriers in accessing these Services due to discrimination at local hospitals in the just a system we observe incarceration rates and sentencing disparities between groups based on identity the War on Drugs launched in the 1980s disproportionately affected African-American communities leading to significantly higher incarceration rates compared to White communities for similar offenses these systems do not operate in isolation they reinforce each other to create entrenched cycles of privilege and oppression for instance systematic barriers in education can limit access to employment opportunities which in turn affects economic mobility and access to housing by examining how these systems intersect and reinforce one another we gain a deeper understanding of how Interlocking Systems of Oppression operate and recognizing these patterns is crucial for addressing disparities and working towards social justice the study of Interlocking Systems of Oppression was first articulated by Patricia Hill Collins and later became a widely adopted framework within the field of Sociology Collins introduced this concept in her work black feminist thought published in 1990 notably she was the first African-American women to serve as the president of the American sociological Association a historic achievement in a field that has historically excluded black voices as we mentioned earlier the study of Interlocking Systems of Oppression Builds on the work of black feminist Scholars activists and writers Kimberly cruna whom we've discussed in the previous topic introduced the concept of intersectionality in 1989 just one year before black feminist thought was published caw's legal scholarship highlighted how anti-discrimination laws often failed to address the unique challenges faced by individuals at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities such as race and gender even earlier in 1977 the KB River Collective issued their Collective statements which articulated the experience of intersectionality and Interlocking Systems of Oppression although they did not used the term formally they described it in Vivid detail and the double or even triple discrimination faced by black women women and black lesbiian women in various spaces their statements laid the groundwork for understanding these systems in less academic but deeply impactful ways this framework critiques the tendency to treat race gender class and sexuality as mutually exclusive categories instead it emphasizes that each facet of a person's identity contributes to their lived experience in this view no single part of a person's identity fully defines them for instance just because someone is black does not mean that their experience will be identical to that of every other black person different in gender sexuality and even the shade of their skin can lead to distinct experiences and outcomes the study of Interlocking Systems of Oppression challenges the oversimplification of identity by showing that oppression is multifaceted and dynamic and the second learning objective is explain how black writers have represented Interlocking Systems of Oppression in their work we are focusing on two writers in particular who explore the lived experiences of black women and men illustrating how race gender and social class shape perceptions roles and economic opportunities these writers are gwendelyn Brooks and Audrey Lord gwendolin Brooks was a celebrated poet who was the first African-American to win a piter prize for poetry in 1950 she explores these themes in her short but powerful poem we real cool in this poem Brooks speaks about young black men or teenagers and how they navigate racism poverty and societal expectations the poem portrays the activities of these boys who've left school and face the consequences of their choices the rhythmic lines reflect their Rebellion but also hint at the societal pressures that have pushed them into these actions the poem concludes with the haunting acknowledgement that these activities make them more likely to face early death illustrating how systemic forces like poverty and racism drastically limits their Futures the other writer Audrey Lord examines the experiences of black women in her book sister Outsider which is a collection of essays in her essay scratching the surface some notes on barriers to women and loving delves into the unique disadvantages faced by black women she not only critiques the ways in which racism and sexism intersect but also explores heterosexism the societal belief that heterosexual love is superior to all other forms of love this essay challenges dominant Norms while advocating for great acceptance of diverse ways of loving and being in another essay from The Collection sexism and American disease in blackface Lord critique sociological studies that emphasized the disadvantages faced by black men while neglecting the unique challenge es and violence black women endure even within their own communities Lord voices her discontent with how these studies Overlook the systemic oppression of black women and shedding light on the intersecting forces of race gender and class both Brooks and Lord demonstrate how different aspects of identity such as race gender and sexuality lead to varying perceptions stereotypes and systemic limitations these Perceptions in turn shape the roles that Society assigns to individuals and the economic opportunities available to them next we'll examine one of Wendel and Brooks's Works in Greater detail mod Martha it was the only novel that she ever wrote and it was published in 1953 the novel is an expanded version of a short story she wrote earlier that year titled we're the only colored people here the novel follows mod Martha a working-class black woman as she navigates the challenges of mid 20th century life in Chicago Brooks's portrayal of mod Martha is distinctive in its quiet everyday realism the novel doesn't focus on Grand dramatic events but instead on the subtle intimate struggles and joys of Mod's life this approach allows Brooks the ability to show the intersections of identity in nuanced ways it's extremely short and all of the chapters are more so a collection of vignettes arranged in chronological order by structuring the novel In This Way Brooks emphasizes the importance of small everyday moments in shaping identity and experience the writing has a lyrical field to it which makes sense because Brooks was primarily a poet this poetic quality creat a distinct flow in the narration blending vivid imagery with an emotional depth that elevates even the most mundane experiences into something extraordinary mod Martha uniquely emphasizes the intersections of social class and gender showing how these aspects of identity combined with race shaped mod Martha and the other characters experiences in distinctive ways one of the novel Central themes is how beauty standards affect women particularly through the lens of race Brooks examines the devaluation of Darker skin tones in the internalized races that leads to colorism within black communities this portrayal highlights how systemic racism and societal Beauty Norms not only marginalize black women externally but also create divisions and biases within their own communities this theme Echoes the historical realities like the brown paper bag tests and informal practice used in some black Social Circles during the early 20th century to exclude individuals with darker skin tones in mon Martha Brooks shows the reader that there are gradations of discrimination that can vary based on how dark a woman is and her perceived Beauty and how that is altogether distinct from the Discrimination that black males experience for example the expectation to marry for women comes up several times and the options of partners for someone like ma are limited by her skin color Beauty and that also impacts her domestic expectations in addition to colorism mod Martha explores class-based judgments weaving in the way socioeconomic status intersects with race and gender throughout the novel mod Martha and other characters often reflect on their economic advancement in as aspirations this is portrayed through their longing for luxury items or housing that would distinguish them within their communities as comfortable or well off the novel also examines the privilege afforded to wealthier Black characters who are often lighter in skin tone this Dynamic underscores how class and colorism intersect granting greater social acceptance and opportunities to lighter skinned wealthier individuals the novel also highlights how location and different spaces play a role in shaping mod Martha's experiences and her predominant black community she navigates the layered challenges of colorism and class discrimination meanwhile in her predominantly white spaces her race and gender often overshadow her individuality leading to further marginalization through mod Martha Brooks challenges dominant narratives about race gender and class providing a deeply personal and layered exploration of identity her work reminds readers that oppression operates on multiple levels and that resilience and agency often emerge in quiet understated ways and finally the recap Interlocking Systems of Oppression describes how social categories are interconnected and how their interaction with social systems creates unequal outcomes for individuals it was first articulated by Patricia Hill Collins in 1990 and it built on the work of black feminists Scholars and activists gendin Brooks and Audrey Lord wrote on how the lived experiences of black women and men result in barriers and how they are perceived their roles and their economic opportunities and finally mod Martha examines how social class and identity impact people across different spaces thank you for watching if you would like to watch the next lecture click the thumbnail on the screen and if you would like more resources to help you study you can visit APUSH lights.com afam I wish you the best of luck with your studies and I hope to see you back on the next lecture