Connection Between Racism and Sexism/Sexuality

While Kendi touches on many forms of intersectional racism, the one that recurs most frequently throughout the book is gender racism thus highlighting the connection between race and sexism/sexuality. From very early on in both the book and in the historical record, racist stereotypes of Black people were frequently based on ideas of sex, sexuality, and gender.

For example, the stereotype of Black people as “hyper-sexual” was drawn to highlight the racist idea of Black people being more “animalistic” than White people. This hypersexual stereotype has been reinforced throughout history in a variety of ways. In some cases, it has been used to justify the rape of Black women at the hands of White men. In others, it has been used to justify the lynching of Black men who had allegedly raped White women. The hyper-sexualization of Black women in particular allowed...