An analysis of Kimberle Crenshaw's basement analogy

Audre Lorde famously said that there is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives (Lorde, 1982). This sentiment lives on through the school of black feminist thought and is arguably one of the cornerstones of intersectional feminism. Crenshaw's basement analogy is undoubtedly a powerful tool in helping black feminists illustrate the specific type of oppression they face and how this can have a practical impact on black women around the world. I will outline the issues that the basement analogy aims to address in comparison to other modes of feminist analysis and explain how it can be an invaluable device in achieving progression for black feminism. I will then present my critique of Crenshaw's basement, which centres around how the universality of the analogy makes it possible for us to deviate from the critical discussion about black feminism. The metaphor, I argue, is a model of all power relations that relate to gender, race, and class – whilst this is still beneficial and valuable, we need a mode of analysis exclusive to the oppression that black women face. I argue that Crenshaw's analogy needs to represent some temporal aspect that helps us understand the deep, historical roots of discrimination towards black women.

Firstly, it is essential to clarify the issue that Crenshaw is trying to solve – and that is the single-axis mode of analysis used when discussing gender and racial discrimination. The single-axis mode of analysis ignores the multiplying effects of, say, being both a woman and black. It is far more than being just a woman, and also black – being a black woman comes with its own unique experience, which is not felt by white women or by black men. Crenshaw asks us to imagine a basement that contains all people oppressed by any gender, race, or class factor. The more of these factors that run against you, the closer to the bottom you are, whilst those with only one stand near the ceiling. Meanwhile, those privileged enough to not be oppressed by any of these things stand on the floor above. Occasionally, individuals placed near the basement ceiling are admitted to the floor above by those above them. If it were for them not to have that one discriminating factor against them, they would be up there anyway. These 'but for' individuals have a privilege that people nearer the bottom of the basement do not have. Black women do not have the luxury of knowing that if it were not for their blackness or their being a woman, they would be allowed out of the basement. Crenshaw shows here that the mode of analysis we need to adopt in feminism must recognise this unique knowingness that black women face – that is, they are in the margin. We must also be aware of what the basement represents here. It is liberation, but it is liberation on the terms of those who built the basement. The white, capitalist patriarchy's idea of liberty is economic status and money power. Those in the basement only have the slave's idea of freedom, and the master's (those above the basement) lifestyle represents the ideal free lifestyle (hooks, 2014). Getting above the ceiling is simply conforming to that and leaving the most oppressed below in the basement.

The impact of Crenshaw's basement in feminist analysis is recognising that it is not just about levelling the playing field but also acknowledging that the playing field is not level (Holroyd & Saul, 2018). This element of analysis is vital to understanding the oppression that black women face, as we cannot begin to take action without first knowing the experiences of such a marginalised group. Crenshaw highlights the practical impact of the single-axis model in the real world, giving court case examples such as DeGraffenreid v General Motors in 1976, a case where the court refused to see black women as a specific group that has been subject to discrimination. This failure to acknowledge that the oppression faced by black women is unique implies that black women are only protected so long as their oppression is defined under a black man's or a white woman's experience (Crenshaw, 1989). Now we can see how it pans out when a single-axis mode of analysis is placed in the courtroom, and there are numerous more examples of this that Crenshaw gives. This deems a new mode analysis essential – and this is why the basement analogy deserves attention and respect for its efforts.

However, I have two key issues with Crenshaw's analogy. The first is with metaphors in themselves, which is too broad to discuss here but still applies to my main argument. Metaphors can be problematic when they come to be understood in place of the concept itself (Kwan, 2002). They often can become too universalised and detach ourselves from the pressing issue the metaphor addresses. My main issue with the basement analogy is that the nature of the basement does not give any exclusivity to black women and what they experience; it is just a model of power relations. These power relations often apply to black women but often do not. Individuals may find themselves near the bottom of the 'basement' for any number of reasons: gender, race, class, disability, religion – plus countless more. While I do not doubt that this is useful, it does not help us analyse black women's oppression specifically. Taking it further, McKittrick argues that the 'margin' black women find themselves in, that is understood as a metaphor much like the basement, is emptied out, placeless, just theory, and just language – it is ahistorical, and a universal construct that can be applied to any power relations (McKittrick, 2006). The same can be said for the basement; the metaphor can quickly become just language that can be construed in alternative ways to how it was initially intended, confirming the concerns of Kwan. This can be problematic and could lead to racial methodological microaggression – where a dominantly situated person misconstrues a concept made by and for marginalised people (Holroyd, 2021).

The nature of Crenshaw's basement is spatial – meaning that it shows us substantive positions that oppressed individuals take in the social hierarchy. Whilst this is useful for helping us understand the structural oppression that black women face, it fails to give us an idea of the roots of these structures and how they have been enforced over time. This is why I believe that to be fully effective, Crenshaw's basement must hold some temporal aspect that allows us to see the diachronic oppression that black women have faced over time (Carastathis, 2013) – mainly through US legal doctrine such as the ones Crenshaw highlighted for us. It is essential to recognise both the structures that cause oppression and also the reasons why they have lasted so long and have been enforced and perpetuated. Symbiotically, understanding both of these components will grant us the most effective way of understanding black women's oppression. It is vital to address race and gender within their sociohistorical situations (Wright, 2017) to understand why this has happened and why this has been allowed and encouraged to happen throughout time. Sociohistorical oppression is essential to talk about – we need to find out why these power structures are the way they are. Before we can even begin to take action, we must have a sound understanding of the structures we are trying to break down. This is my argument for why I believe Crenshaw's basement to be only partially effective. In saying this, creating a spatiotemporal basement that illustrates both the oppressive structures and the history behind these structures may be practically hard. A possible solution would be to create a corresponding metaphor that can show this – so both metaphors can work hand in hand to illustrate intersectional feminism in the most effective way. Doing this would help the basement more effectively serve its initial purpose in helping us acknowledge that the playing field is not level and understanding the role of the law and government institutions in the production of oppression against black women.

One may object to my proposed improvement and say that the basement is, in fact temporal. The basement represents the structures that oppressed people find themselves in, including the institutions that perpetuate these oppressions. Some may argue that despite the problems with metaphors, they are invaluable tools in guiding social meaning and serving as mental maps to understand the world (Stepan, 1990). Patricia Hill Collins highlights for us the metaphors that have shaped feminist thought, including 'the personal is political' and 'coming to voice' (Collins, 1998) – both of which have played prominent roles in both the feminist's and the black feminist's mission. In response, I would argue that this still does not solve the issue Kwan warned us about – just because something fits into the metaphor, it does not necessarily deem it practical. The danger comes with these analogies that the metaphor can come to be understood in place of the concept; race, gender, and class are not tangible objects (Kwan, 2002); they are fundamental concepts that must be respected as such. This objection also does not account for the issue of universality that comes with the basement. It is easy to diverge and construe it in many different ways that do not concern black feminism. Other types of oppression are also created and perpetuated by governing institutions, and there is nothing specific to the black woman's cause in this mode of analysis. The temporal aspect of the analogy must be exclusive to the sociohistorical context of black women and the oppression they have faced for so long.

Understanding why black women find themselves in the social positions that they do is a vital part of the mission towards justice for the marginalised group. I believe that this must be done before any effective action can take place. Crenshaw's basement analogy offers us a good alternative to the single-axis mode of analysis. It effectively understands the power relations that contribute to oppression in general – whether that be for gender, race, class, or any number of factors. Whilst this is still useful and important, it is essential that the concept of intersectionality cannot be misconstrued. There needs to be a way of illustrating the unique experience of black women and their oppression. As I have argued, a good way of doing this would be to introduce a temporal aspect to the basement that shows the diachronic process of the forces that have worked towards the oppression of black women. The structures of the white, capitalist patriarchy represented by the basement apply to black women. However, the margin that black women are in is particular to them and indeed internally complex. We owe it to black women to educate ourselves on their position in order to become more inclusive feminists. On our mission towards gender justice, we must address the needs of the most disadvantaged – and in turn, we will all reap the benefits.

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