Intersectionality and Stereotypes

Dear Ambassador Shabazz,

“I think when a person moves to their own kind of clock, spirit, flow, if we were living in an environment that allowed us to be exactly who we are, you’re always in congress with yourself”

Through your incredible powerful words, I commend you for taking the steps in acknowledging the infinitely astounding legacy of your friend and activist Nina Simone. In consideration of her unparalleled fame in the face of the impossible yet hidden challenges she needed to overcome, it is a tragedy that Nina Simone did not accomplish her lifelong dream of having a legacy as the first black female classical pianist. Yet, this narrative reveals a fundamental aspect of the complexity of human lives that rejects the horrors of stereotypes. In upholding an impossible to achieve expectation for Simone (through the typical independent black woman or famous jazz musician expectations), the pressure to attain perfection ultimately leads to failure. Through Simone’s downfall this is evident, but by recognizing the motives and encouraging intersectionality, this can be prevented. Your recognition that Simone is not at odds with the time parallels the idea of intersectionality in that the frame of reference makes all the difference.

Derek

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