There are many different aspects of identity and they have different impacts on our lived experiences. We are often judged by society simply because of our appearance. We are rarely judged on our character when we are first introduced to a person. It is not our intention to judge someone just by first glance, it is a natural thing, we do it simply because we can. Our identity does not only derive from the environment around us and the way we have grown up since childhood. It's how we choose to distinguish ourselves from others. We learn from our parents, teachers, and others as we grow up, but the decision is entirely up to us as to how we choose to identify. Two assigned aspects of interconnecting identities are Race and Gender. These two aspects of identity tend to have a negative impact on minorities. However, racial and gender identity have also been used to support white supremacy and patriarchy. In our society, being a woman indicates that you are inferior to your male counterpart. Being a black woman makes you inferior not only to males but also to white women, literally at the bottom of the totem pole. Malcolm X once said, “The most disrespected woman in America is the black woman. The most defenseless person in America is the black woman. The most neglected woman in America is the black woman” (Who taught you to hate yourself?). Black women are treated less than simply because of our gender and race, things that were not chosen but given to us at birth. There is absolutely no way we can change who we are, so instead of allowing ourselves to be treated like the ultimate minority, we can stand up for ourselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First and foremost, gender stereotypes cause people to lose their personal identity. In the media, men are usually the breadwinners and they are the ones who provide for their families, while women are forced to take care of the house and take care of the children. These stereotypes emulate what women are supposed to do, making us look weak. While racially speaking women of color are looked down upon by their female counterparts. In the article “Women of Color and Feminism: A History Lesson and a Way Forward” by Anthea Butler, she talks about the “tension between white feminists and feminists of color.” Although feminists essentially want the same thing, white feminists find it difficult to “embrace, celebrate, and collaborate with their sisters of color” (Butler). She believes that racism threatens feminism and wants to shed light on the situation and hopefully put race aside so that the feminist movement has a better future. Butler wants all women to move forward in a positive direction, color should not play a role in this movement. Ultimately, all feminists want the same thing, so they should join forces and ideas for the advancement of women, despite the color of their skin. The entire feminist movement is based on the idea that women and men are equal and that we should be treated as such. Butler's argument is expected to demonstrate that white feminists feel they are better than WOC. The thing that inspired her to speak on the topic is the fact that in a PowerPoint at a feminist conference, there was only 1 woman of color shown representing WOC in the feminist movement. This made her angry because since the beginning of the feminist movement she says, “Black women have never had the luxury of simply focusing on women's issues.”They always had to take their race into consideration when addressing problems. The feminist movement began with women who wanted the right to vote and wanted to be able to work instead of being stuck at home taking care of the house and raising children. I personally don't identify as a feminist, I agree with some of their ideas and believe that both men and women should be considered equal, but nothing else beyond that. The way I present myself, I could be considered a feminist because I am not easily intimidated by men and I have no problem speaking out about something that I feel is unfair to a group of people. I'm not sure what I have to do to not want to be a part of it, but I'm just not intrigued by it. I don't see the movement as negative, but due to its lack of representation in WOC, it seems like we are irrelevant to the program itself. Predominantly, since men are considered superior to women, we tend to agree and shut up. In an essay titled Speaking While Female by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant, the two talk about "two young female writers who were always silent in story meetings" for a hit TV series called The Shield. When asked why they remained silent during meetings, they told Grant to watch what happened when they tried to present their ideas during meetings. The result was that “almost every time they began to speak they were knocked down or interrupted before finishing their speech. When you had a good idea, a male writer would jump in and run with it before he could complete his thought. (Sandberg and Grant). Constantly being dismissed, interrupted and, in some cases, completely ignored made the two women sit down and keep their ideas for the show in mind. This happens constantly in our society, women walk a tightrope around men so as not to appear “aggressive”. This is very controversial because who knows what kind of great ideas or inventions could have been without the intimidation of men. There are endless different ideas the two women could have had to make the show so much better than it was, but due to their lack of confidence when surrounded by men they stayed and watched the show unravel without their ideas. Furthermore, race and gender identity is intersectional. In our society, being a woman automatically makes you inferior to your male colleagues. To be a black woman is to fall short of white woman standards. Being a black woman is considered the lowest of minorities. With this in mind, society never allows us to forget that we black women should feel inferior to everyone else. For my part, I have never believed this impression. I am a human being; my gender and race should have nothing to do with how I am treated. If I feel like I'm being treated less than I should be treated, I take matters into my own hands. I don't need others to stand up for me, I believe I am a divine feminine energy and absolutely nothing will stand in my way and make me feel unworthy of how I should be treated. A memory that makes me shiver when I think of it as my best friend. She had been with her boyfriend for about two years. I feel like she was immune to all the subtle racist and sexist comments he made towards her and sometimes even towards me. One incident I can't forget is that I was once talking about how I wanted to be a pediatrician when I got older and how hard it would be to stay in school for more than 8 years. His comment was "You're a girl, it's easy, get a sugar daddy and you'll be fine" if he would have stopped.