Ain't I a Victim? The Intersectionality of Race, Class, and Gender in Domestic Violence and the Courtroom

Authors

Geneva Brown, Valparaiso University School of Law

Abstract

The legal system systematically fails to protect marginalized groups, particularly African American women, from intimate-partner violence due to entrenched race, gender, and class biases. These biases manifest in the courts' disregard for the unique experiences of African American women, as highlighted by Kimberlé Crenshaw's intersectionality theory. The article examines how systemic discrimination and the courts' failure to enforce protective orders perpetuate violence against this vulnerable population, emphasizing the lethal consequences of these failures. The analysis also critiques the Supreme Court's narrowing of constitutional protections in cases like DeShaney v. Winnebago County and Castle Rock v. Gonzales, which further erode the ability of victims to seek redress.

Disciplines

Law | Law and Economics | Law and Gender | Law and Race

Recommended Citation

Geneva Brown, Ain't I a Victim? The Intersectionality of Race, Class, and Gender in Domestic Violence and the Courtroom, 19 Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just. 147 (2012).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol19/iss1/7