Sydney Richardson doesn’t just study science, she studies people. As a third-year student at the University of Michigan (U of M) majoring in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, she’s preparing for a future in medicine. But in the classroom, she takes on another responsibility: leading discussions on privilege, classism and systemic inequality as a student educator for U of M’s Intergroup Relations Program.
One of the most critical concepts that consistently emerges in Richardson’s dialogue sessions is intersectionality. First introduced by activist and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality describes how different marginalized identities such as race, gender, ability and socioeconomic status overlap to create distinct experiences of oppression.
“I’m a woman of color, half-Black and half-white, and that’s an intersection right there,” Richardson said. “The way that Black people experience oppression is different from the way that women experience oppression, and the intersection of those identities creates a unique experience.”
Richardson pushes students to recognize how privilege also operates. She introduces the idea of interacting identities, a term that describes the coexistence of two privileged identities that do not face systemic oppression. While intersectionality highlights how multiple marginalized identities compound oppression, interacting identities show how privilege can reinforce societal advantages.
“For example, as an able-bodied person with a high socioeconomic status, these are interacting identities,” Richardson explained. “Both of these are privileged identities that do not experience systemic marginalization or oppression.”
Richardson believes that true progress happens when people step outside their own experiences and listen. She encourages students to engage in active dialogue, challenge their predispositions and biases and take these lessons beyond the classroom. By facilitating these discussions, she hopes to inspire individuals to take what they’ve learned and apply it in their communities, workplaces and personal relationships.
Intersectionality is not just a framework for understanding oppression, it’s a call to action. Recognizing the way identities interact with societal structures means acknowledging where changes need to be made. It means advocating for policies that address systemic inequality, amplifying marginalized voices, and fostering inclusive spaces.
In a world that often defaults to division, the real challenge isn’t just recognizing these complexities, it’s acting on them. As Richardson encourages her students to do, we must ask ourselves: What specific steps can we take today to challenge inequality? The conversations may start in the classroom, but their impact should extend far beyond it. Through education, advocacy and everyday actions, we all have a role to play in building a more equitable society.
