‘Girl Meets World’ Actress Authors Lengthy Instagram Essay on Intersectional Feminism

By Sameer Rao Aug 24, 2015

Hollywood typically misses the mark when it comes to making informed socio-political stands with an intersectional analysis. But leave it to a 13-year-old children’s sitcom star to drop a dose of reality. 

Granted, Rowan Blanchard (who is of partial Middle Eastern descent) is only saying what generations of activists and scholars of color have been saying for way too long: that the way cis-gendered white women experience sexism is inherently different than it is for women of color or trans women because of how their identities and discrimination intersect in the lives of the marginalized. But when she responded to a Tumblr user’s question about the term "white feminism" this weekend with a 3-part Instagram essay on intersectionality, people paid attention.

In the essay, Blanchard praises "The Hunger Games" star Amandla Stenberg for calling out racial appropriation in the pop sphere. She also name-drops Sandra Bland, India Clarke, and Kimberlé Crenshaw (who specifically was quoted from her seminal works about intersectionality).

Check out Blanchard’s essay (each segment of which has thousands of likes) in full below: 

 

 

Part 1. By me

A photo posted by Rowan Blanchard (@rowanblanchard) on

 

Part 2. By me

A photo posted by Rowan Blanchard (@rowanblanchard) on

 

Part 3. By me

A photo posted by Rowan Blanchard (@rowanblanchard) on

 

(H/t The Wrap