What Next | Daily News and Analysis Her Life’s Work Became a Scapegoat. Now What?
May 5, 2026
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, law professor and civil-rights advocate who coined "intersectionality," joins to unpack how ideas about race and gender shaped law. She traces the origins of intersectionality, personal roots in law, backlash against critical race ideas, and how legal decisions have reshaped voting rights. The conversation ends with a call to speak up and her memoir Backtalker.
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Practice Backtalk To Defend Democratic Rights
- Crenshaw urges 'backtalk' as civic practice: speak up and challenge authority instead of obeying unquestioningly.
- She says talking back is necessary in a democracy and reframes defiance as responsible citizenship, not childishness.
Family Violence Shaped Her Legal Lens
- Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw recounts her brother Mantle's violence and complicated family response that shaped her views on institutions.
- She describes asking her parents to change rules that left her powerless, framing personal boundary-setting as a miniature legal critique.
Survivor Story Reveals Institutional Gaps
- Crenshaw tells of being assaulted in college and the community's failure to protect her after asking them not to press charges.
- She explains relying on unexpected supporters and that both she and her abuser were later punished for not reporting his weapon, not for the attempted murder.
