Intersectionallies: We Make Room for All | Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, Carolyn Choi & Ashley Seil Smith
48 pages | Dottir Press | 2.1.22
The brainchild of three women-of-color sociologists, IntersectionAllies is a smooth, gleeful entry into intersectional feminism for kids. Featuring gorgeous illustrations on every page and powerful introductions by activist and law professor Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term "intersectionality," and Dr. Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, author of Intersectionality: An Intellectual History, the story's nine characters proudly describe themselves and their backgrounds, involving topics that range from a physical disability to language brokering, offering an opportunity to take pride in a personal story and connect to collective struggle for justice.
The group bond grounds the message of allyship and equality. When things get hard, the kids support each other for who they are: Parker defends Kate, a genderfluid character who eschews skirts for a superhero cape; Heejung welcomes Yuri, a refugee escaping war, into their community; and Alejandra's family cares for Parker after school while her mother works. Advocating respect and inclusion, IntersectionAllies is a necessary tool for learning to embrace, rather than shy away from, difference.
