"...it is important to avoid the single stories while actively seeking out intersectional information since systems of oppression work together to harm all of us."

Leela Ramachandran is a Research Assistant at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.

"It is critical that we incorporate intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, in all our endeavors. Without this perspective, we over-simplify the complexity of being people with many different identities that inform lived experience. I am personally affected by racism, sexism, and homophobia—often simultaneously—which has shaped my identity and perspectives. This dovetails well with a TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called The Danger of a Single Story which highlights the impossibility of a single story about any person, identity, or country. As we collaborate to advance racial equity, it is important to avoid the single stories while actively seeking out intersectional information since systems of oppression work together to harm all of us." 

Check out the Race and Health Equity Resource Guide for additional resources.