I want to keep this short and sweet: understanding intersectionality is essential for any activist cause.

Intersectionality is defined on dictionary.com as "the theorythattheoverlapofvarioussocialidentities,asrace, gender,sexuality,andclass,contributestothespecifictype of systemicoppressionanddiscriminationexperiencedbyanindividual."

It is extremely important to acknowledge the intersections in our own identities, but we must also be intersectional in our activism. In terms of identity, we must look at each sector separately. Here is a breakdown of how I think we should look at the intersectionality in our identities.

Race: Is the color of your skin the one that is most predominant in your country of residence?

Ethnicity: Is your ancestry that of many people in your country of residence?

Nationality: Is your nationality the same as many of the other inhabitants of your country of residence? Are you an immigrant? Are you a child of immigrants?

Gender: Are you a part of what your country of residence's society considers the "superior gender"? Is your gender identity one of the two genders of the traditional binary system?

Sexuality: Is your sexual orientation considered the norm in your country of residence? Can you kiss your romantic partner in the street of your country of residence without facing backlash or discrimination?

Socioeconomic Class: Are you financially privileged? Do you come from a family with higher education degrees?

Ability Status: Are you physically fully able? Do you suffer from a chronic physical illness? Do you suffer from a mental illness?

Size: Is your body the size that is considered "normal" in your country of residence?

Religion: Do you practice the predominant religion in your country of residence? Do you practice the predominant religion in the world?

First Language: Do you fluently speak the language that is predominant in your country of residence? Is your first language different than that of most people born in the country that you were born in?

In how many of these categories do you belong to a minority or oppressed group? Consider the intersections. How does one sector of your identity affect another?

For example, two males can both identify as Black racially, but there is a stark difference between the life of a Black male with high socioeconomic status and a Black male with low socioeconomic status. There is a significant difference between the lives of a White homosexual female, and a White heterosexual female.

It is important to acknowledge how different aspects of our identities can contribute to privilege, and others that do the exact opposite. It is important to understand that although we may coincide with somebody in one minority group, our lives can be completely unlike due to our membership to different minority groups of other categories.

We must acknowledge these differences, but continue to fight for ourselves and each other in the areas in which oppression occurs.

What I consider to be engaging in intersectional activism is advocating for causes supported by all marginalized groups, not just the ones that you belong to. We must be intersectional in our activism because if one marginalized group does not support another marginalized group, it will make it even more difficult for majority groups to become allies.

Every marginalized group needs allies. People who are racially not Black, but also not white, need to support the Black Lives Matter movement. If the size of the army standing in solidarity with Black lives is larger and stronger, it has much more potential to change the flaws in the system that can make this country, or this world, an unjust place to exist.

We are all brothers, sisters, and siblings. The entirety of the world cannot see that yet, but if a large group of minorities binds together to fight for justice, we might get somewhere.