Kimberle Crenshaw

Kimberle Crenshaw is a distinguished legal scholar who has profoundly influenced discourse on civil rights, race, and gender, making her a sought-after speaker and consultant for organizations addressing social justice. After joining the faculty of UCLA School of Law in 1986, Kimberlé Crenshaw became a foundational figure in critical race theory, profoundly influencing discourse on civil rights, race, and gender. In 1989, she coined the groundbreaking term ‘intersectionality’ in her seminal essay ‘Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Anti-discrimination Doctrine Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics,’ a concept now central to understanding overlapping forms of discrimination. Her legal expertise was further recognized in 1991 when she assisted the legal team for Anita Hill during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

In 1995, Crenshaw was appointed full professor at Columbia Law School, where she subsequently founded and directs the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies. Beyond her academic roles, Crenshaw co-founded the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) in 1996, a prominent think tank dedicated to dismantling structural inequality and advancing racial justice. Her influence extends internationally, demonstrated by her authorship of the background paper on Race and Gender Discrimination for the United Nations’ World Conference on Racism in 2001. She has also facilitated workshops for human rights activists in Brazil and India, and for constitutional court judges in South Africa.

Du Bois Medal from Harvard University, solidifying her status as a leading intellectual and a profoundly sought-after speaker and consultant for organizations addressing social justice globally.