The Point of Intersection

Chiedo Nwankor, Visiting Research Associate and Adjunct Lecturer
Moderated by Noemi Crespo Rice, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

February 24, 2017

As part of the school's observance of Black History Month 2017, Chiedo Nwankor assessed the existing state of gender relations from a lens of ‘intersectionality.’

Nwankor asserted that race, gender, and culture are forces that interact dynamically to create institutions that reinforce gender norms. For example, on the question of how Beyoncé represents feminism, she maintained that Beyoncé has become the new face of black feminism and that her success is a symbol of liberation.

In evaluating Hillary Clinton’s performance in the recent US presidential elections, Nwankor stated that Clinton failed to win the support of the millennials and women of color because she embodied the life of a typical white female. Her democratic rival Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, represented an ideal which appealed to the masses across demographic lines in the context of slowing economic growth and dissatisfaction with existing systems.

Questions from the audience touched on Nwankor's work helping underprivileged African women, the impact of sex-positivism on feminism, and on whether Hillary Clinton’s marriage influenced her image as a presidential candidate.