Social Change and Intersectional Activism—The Spirit of Social Movement

"Social Change and Intersectional Activism: The Spirit of Social Movement finds in oral histories of "intersectional activism" - activism that focuses on people who face multiple forms of oppression or discrimination (racism, classism, sexism, etc.) - narratives of love, faith, and joy that drive, guide, and sustain the practice of social change. Reading these texts in relation to feminist, queer, and race theory and Buddhist philosophy, it argues that an understanding of spirit is crucial to explaining the power that social movements have to change hearts, minds, and social structures and to understanding the ways in which leaders of social change organizations influence others. By highlighting often-neglected elements of antiracist feminism as articulated by influential theorists and enacted by contemporary activists, it contributes to scholarship in several disciplines, including gender and women's studies, ethnic studies, LGBTQ studies, and social movement theory. Focusing on the best of what activists do, this project draws from their stories lessons and reminders about the pleasures and wonders of social change and the power of kindness and principled action in the face of injustice"--

Sharon Doetsch-Kidder is an independent scholar based in the Washington, DC area. She completed her PhD in English and Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.