In reading “There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions” by Audre Lorde and “Patriarchy the System” by Johnson Allan these two authors shared their own interpretation of intersectionality between different social identities such as race, gender and sexuality in relation to unjust social structures. Individuals who are oppressed and privileged don’t choose to be a part of that system; however resistance can be used as a way to challenge and fight against the systems of oppression. The problem in this case seems to be that people in society would rather stick to what may be considered as the “norm” since they fail to understand that we are all involved and contribute to these social issues that continue to shape our lives. 

Audre Lorde describes herself as “black, lesbian, feminist, and a member of an interracial couple” to express that her multiple social identities make up for the same oppression since those within the categories are seen as a targeted are being negatively affected by it. I feel like through her writing she strongly valued the concerns that led up to people’s differences coming from such a diverse community and how society tries to reflect a negative side of them. She wants to inspire others that one oppression is no different than the rest because wrongful power is still being reinforced and we need to stay connected through it altogether in order to overcome what is known as the status quo. Nobody wants to live during a time where discrimination and prejudice behavior revolves around them because of their identity or social position. There is hope that minority groups and members of the LGBTQ community can be united together to gain that equality as their challenges and disadvantages are being left unnoticed with little room for change. 

 Just like Lorde mentioned her multiple identities, so did Allan as stated “We can think of a society as a network of interconnected systems within systems, each made up of social positions and their relations to one another. To say, then, that I am white, male, college educated, nondisabled, and a nonfiction author, novelist, sociologist, U.S. citizen, heterosexual, husband, father, grandfather, brother, and son identifies me in relation to positions which are themselves related to positions in various systems, from the entire world to the family of my birth” (Allan 41). This means that among these different identities, people have different outlooks on themselves and each other such as the beliefs and values one may share together or not. Even through the patriarchal system between men and women, society feels like there should be a continuation of the authority held among both genders where one is superior than the other. It does not mean that everyone who participates in this system should feel that way about each other.  

Heatherlee’s snapshot perfectly depicted how women are working towards taking down male domination as it relates to gender inequality. It should not be assumed that women are  inferior or weak because they work just as hard to get the credit they deserve since their ability to do so is different from men. It all dates back to history where women have strived strongly to have the same privileges as men since that’s the way cultures and gender roles were built upon this patriarchal perspective. We need to look past the ideas that prevent oppression and the inequality of all social identities that restricts and limits us from coexisting as ourselves regardless of our position in society. I would also like to note that I feel like all women, especially black women today should feel honored and empowered that we have Kamala Harris as our Vice President because it inspires other girls and women that men are not only ones that can hold power.