Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex

Abstract This chapter critiques the single-axis framework that dominates anti-discrimination law, feminist theory, and anti-racist politics, arguing that it obscures the intersectional realities of Black women’s experiences. Through landmark cases such as DeGraffenreid v General Motors, Moore v Hughes Helicopter, and Payne v Travenol, it shows how legal doctrines erase the compound discrimination Black women face by treating race and gender as separate categories. It also demonstrates how feminist theory often reflects white women’s experiences while anti-racist politics centers on Black men, leaving Black women marginalized in both movements. The chapter examines historical and contemporary examples—from Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech to debates over the Moynihan Report and The Color Purple—to reveal how the failure to integrate race and gender analysis distorts both feminist and anti-racist discourse. Finally, the chapter calls for rethinking these frameworks by centering those most disadvantaged—Black women—and argues that only by embracing intersectionality can theories and movements achieve genuine inclusivity and social transformation.