Ethics in the Age of Looking Away

In this keynote address, pioneering legal scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw invites psychology to embrace the radical tradition of "backtalking." In her recent memoir, Backtalker, Crenshaw explores how the instinctive act of speaking truth to power—of questioning what society accepts as "neutral" or "fair"—is essential for practitioners today. 

Intersectionality, the framework Crenshaw coined to describe how interlocking systems of power impact multiply marginalized groups, has become influential in modern psychology. Yet, as it has grown in prominence, the concept has also faced profound co-optation, dilution, and political weaponization—often reduced to a static checklist of identities rather than a lens for structural critique. 



To reclaim intersectionality’s original, emancipatory intent, Crenshaw argues that we must actively "talk back" to the forces that seek to sanitize or demonize it. Drawing from her memoir and the experiences that led to its development, this session will challenge psychologists to utilize intersectionality as a rigorous tool for research, clinical practice, and institutional advocacy. By doing so, the discipline can better disrupt systemic inequalities, validate the lived realities of marginalized populations, and construct a more just and accurate psychological science.