"...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."

March 14, 2023

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.


share this

Related Articles

April 30, 2025
Check out the recording from our recent webinar featuring Liv Anna Homstead and Francheska Bermudez. This webinar was designed to help organizations and professionals maximize their use of 413Cares.org.
April 16, 2025
Wanda Givens is a member of the leadership team for the Women of Color Health Equity Collective (WOCHEC). WOCHEC offers training and consulting services to address issues of white supremacy, health inequity, and more. As part of her work at WOCHEC, Wanda facilitates a training about cultural humility. "What I love most about facilitating Cultural Humility is not what people learn about each other, but what they learn about themselves. The more we know about how we get to be who we are, the more we can understand and relate to someone else’s journey. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone come to the realization that they are more like others in the room than they are different. Our paths may take different roads, but essentially, we are all on the same journey." Did you know the Race and Health Equity Resource Guide includes a listing of organizations like WOCHEC who can help guide your organization on its anti-racism journey and more!
April 15, 2025
Healthy Air Network Launches Redesigned Website to Empower Communities with Air Quality Data; Hosting 4/30 Free Webinar