Coming Soon - United States of Amnesia: The Real History of Critical Race Theory

Coming Soon - United States of Amnesia: The Real History of Critical Race Theory

Author: African American Policy Forum January 22, 2025 Duration: 4:45
In a new series, host Kimberlé Crenshaw takes listeners on a journey through the real history of critical race theory (CRT). She explores the "anti-CRT" legislative attacks against public education, and as a founding critical race theorist, Prof. Crenshaw provides a first-hand account of the origin of the theory, from its inception at Harvard Law School to the current backlash against it. Through interviews with thought leaders, activists, academics and the communities affected by anti-CRT and anti-DEI legislation, in this series, Kimberlé Crenshaw uplifts the cycles of history we see repeating before us in the present day, all in the hopes of curing the amnesia that keeps us stuck in the cycles of history.

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…