77. Heroes, Harm and History: Chavez's Legacy and Women's History Month

77. Heroes, Harm and History: Chavez's Legacy and Women's History Month

Author: African American Policy Forum March 31, 2026 Duration: 41:19
On Cesar Chavez Day and the close of Women's History Month, host Kimberlé Crenshaw and award-winning radio host Kaye Wise Whitehead unpack a painful reckoning: recent New York Times revelations of sexual abuse by labor icon Cesar Chavez, including allegations from movement co-founder Dolores Huerta, who broke her silence at age 95. Together they explore why survivors delay disclosure, how hero worship in liberation movements hurts women and girls, and the tension between honoring a movement's legacy while confronting its darkest truths. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: PBS News Hour: Investigation uncovers sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez ABC News: Dolores Huerta: Her Words, Her Movement Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pre-order Backtalker: An American Memoir and find a book tour date near you at www.kimberlécrenshaw.com

Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term itself, Intersectionality Matters! brings the framework of intersectionality from academic theory into the heart of contemporary conversation. This podcast, presented by the African American Policy Forum, examines how overlapping social identities-such as race, gender, class, and sexuality-shape individual experiences of discrimination and privilege. Crenshaw, a foundational scholar of critical race theory, guides listeners through nuanced discussions that connect legal analysis, current events, and cultural critique. Each episode tackles pressing issues in the news, from voting rights and economic justice to political movements and pop culture, demonstrating how a single-axis view of inequality often falls short. The dialogue here is rigorous yet accessible, featuring conversations with activists, thinkers, and community organizers who are on the front lines. Listening to this podcast provides the analytical tools to understand the complex, interconnected nature of power in our society. It’s a space where the personal, the political, and the structural collide, offering clarity on why seeing problems through an intersectional lens is not just an intellectual exercise but a necessity for meaningful advocacy and change. You’ll hear deep dives into policy, law, and the stories that define our moment, all grounded in the reality that our struggles and liberations are deeply linked.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Intersectionality Matters!
Podcast Episodes
72. Why Authoritarians Fear Democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:27
This episode features Legal Defense Fund President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson with professors Carol Anderson and Nancy MacLean, in conversation with our host Kimberlé Crenshaw. This riveting and timely conversatio…
71. Why Authoritarians Fear Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:26
Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by authors Jason Stanley and Randi Weingarten to discuss why authoritarians and fascists target education on the path to destabilizing democracy. They unpack how book bans, attacks on tea…
70. How Anti-Blackness Destroys Democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:37
As we slide into autocracy, disparities impacting Black Americans are being ignored while Black excellence is actively erased from our workplaces, museums, and history books. These attacks are no longer cloaked with dog…
69. The Battle for America's Memory, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:11
A special collaboration with Today with Dr. Kaye, this episode was taped live at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw, with Kaye Wise Whitehead and guests Time Wise, Karen Attiah, Melanie Campbell…
68. The Battle for America's Memory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:40
At the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. They explore how museums shape national identity. They also historicize the current po…
67. Bloody Sunday, 60 Years Later [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:01
Host Kimberlé Crenshaw takes listeners to Alabama to learn about the contemporary importance of Bloody Sunday and the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Featuring: Cliff Albright, co-founder, Black Voters Matter LaT…
66. Executive Disorder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:40
In this episode, host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by some of the country's brightest legal minds to discuss the Trump administration's executive orders, how they'll affect progressive movements, and what communities can…