Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s path from ‘Backtalker’ to legal scholar episode artwork

EPISODE · May 5, 2026 · 44 MIN

Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s path from ‘Backtalker’ to legal scholar

from Fresh Air

Crenshaw named two of the most contested ideas in American politics: intersectionality and critical race theory. Her new book is called ‘Backtalker: An American Memoir.’ It takes us to her childhood in Canton, Ohio, and along her path through Cornell, Harvard Law, and the University of Wisconsin, where, in 1988, as a graduate student, she sketched a diagram of an intersection to explain how race, class, and gender overlap. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about these moments in her career, and how she’s thinking about America’s 250th anniversary. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s path from ‘Backtalker’ to legal scholar

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This episode is 44 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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Crenshaw named two of the most contested ideas in American politics: intersectionality and critical race theory. Her new book is called ‘Backtalker: An American Memoir.’ It takes us to her childhood in Canton, Ohio, and along her path through...

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