The quote is from the Combahee River Collective’s statement, which was a Black feminist statement written in 1977. The statement argues that black women, who are at the bottom of society in terms of power and privilege, can use their position to take revolutionary action that would benefit everyone. By fighting for their own liberation, they would also be challenging and dismantling all systems of oppression.

“Identity politics” is a term used to describe a political approach that focuses on the experiences and perspectives of people from particular identity groups, such as women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others who have been marginalized and oppressed. The Combahee River Collective’s statement was an early example of identity politics, as it focused specifically on the experiences and struggles of Black women.

Paris is Burning is a documentary film that explores the ball culture of New York City’s Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities in the 1980s. The film shows how these communities created their own spaces and subcultures in response to the discrimination and violence they faced in the larger society. This can be seen as a form of identity politics, as the ball culture provided a space for marginalized individuals to express themselves and assert their identities.

Race and gender are intertwined with capitalism because capitalism has historically relied on the exploitation and oppression of marginalized groups, including people of color and women. The economic system is built on the extraction of surplus value from the labor of workers, many of whom are paid low wages and denied basic rights and protections. This has disproportionately affected marginalized communities, who are often relegated to the lowest-paying and most precarious jobs. Additionally, capitalism has historically relied on the exploitation of natural resources and the dispossession of Indigenous communities. The struggles against racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression are therefore connected to the struggle against capitalism.