Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast She named 'critical race theory' and 'intersectionality' and would like to explain
May 11, 2026
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, civil rights scholar who coined intersectionality and helped shape critical race theory, discusses the origins of these ideas. She traces formative moments from her memoir, explains how the concepts analyze law and institutions, and addresses why they have become politically contested. Short, clear reflections on scholarship, public debate, and defending inclusive democracy.
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Memoir Roots Explain Academic Terms
- Crenshaw frames Backtalker to show terms like intersectionality grew from her lived experience as a girl during civil rights and the women's movement.
- The book cover photo of her and her brother signals the personal roots of her scholarship.
How Law Produces Racial Inequality Without Overt Racism
- Critical Race Theory examines how laws and institutions can produce racial inequality without explicit racist intent.
- Crenshaw uses the post-Voting Rights Act mapping tactics and the Calais decision to show legal mechanisms recreate exclusion.
CRT Is Politically Redefined To Ban Racial Discussion
- The term Critical Race Theory is being politically broadened to label any teaching about racism or bias as dangerous.
- Crenshaw warns that public attacks conflate basic lessons on racial injustice with CRT's legal-theoretical meaning.
