Backtalker: An American Memoir

by Kimberlé Crenshaw

A Simon & Schuster book. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Feminism, Race, Social Justice, History, Politics

377 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Kimberlé Crenshaw (also writes as Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw) is a professor of law at UCLA and Columbia Law School. A leading authority on civil rights, black feminist legal theory, and racism and the law, she is a co-editor of Critical Race Theory (The New Press). Crenshaw is a contributor to Ms. Magazine, The Nation, and the Huffington Post. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Tram · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Being a backtalker is like being lactose intolerant. There are things that I cannot digest.”

I got to see *the* Kimberlé Crenshaw on her book tour of her memoir and am so grateful to have gotten to witness her in person in this lifetime.

Kimberlé Crenshaw is a Black legal feminist scholar who coined the ideas of intersectionality and critical race theory.

The book is well-written and expansive, covering her childhood in Canton, Ohio through Harvard Law School to her career as a civil rights advocate to her relationships with other radical activists.

Topics covered:
-Her close and complex bonds with family and the early and inexplicable losses of her father and brother
-Her experience with an abusive and controlling college ex (BFH) and her subsequent characterization as a loud and vindictive woman as well as the fragmentation of her community
-Her mother’s experience with “urban renewal,” blight, and Lorraine Hansberry
-Her time at Harvard Law right after the departure of Prof. Derrick Bell and his “Con Law and Minority Issues” course
-Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and how his 1991 appointment contributed to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act today
-Her criticisms on Obama’s failures to name racial biases within the court systems after Trayvon Martin’s death and the t, pervasive failures of the current admin on race, gender, and civil rights
-At the book tour stop, she also gave her opinions on how the US Supreme Court denied VA’s redistricting appeal on Friday and the race politics of The Roast of Kevin Hart

Can’t recommend this book enough and she narrates her own audiobook and also Angela Rye as a moderator was fantastic

[Kaelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Simon and Schuster for providing me a digital ARC of this book. I am an intersectional criminologist whose research has been greatly influenced by Kimberlé Crenshaw's work on critical race theory and intersectionality. So, it was an honor to get an advanced copy. There's so much that I could say about this book. It was amazing, Crenshaw is amazing, and I recommend that everyone pick up this book ASAP. I don't want to give spoilers; so, I will highlight the three key things that I loved about it.

1) Her writing in the book is phenomenal (as usual). I wouldn’t say the book was fast paced, but it was easy to get caught up in the stories being told in each chapter. You were also able to tell from her stories from kindergarten to post law school how and why she came up with CRT and intersectionality. The through line was clear, and the path to how she got their was beautiful to read about.

- I also loved how she blended the personal with the political and vice versa. This is 100% a memoir where I learned so much more about her, but I also learned so much about other topics that I was familiar with but didn’t necessarily know a lot about from an intersectional perspective. Some of the topics she hits on are Anita Hill and her involvement in the hearing, the OJ Simpson trial, the My Brother's Keeper, Black women and IPV. Also, she’s a fair critique. She critiques the Trump and Obama administrations. And, I really appreciated her duality and ability to say “both/and." There's not nearly enough of that nowadays.

- In line with that last part, I loved her vulnerability. In this book, she discussed the grief of losing her closest family members, her experience with IPV, and her struggles as a black woman in the academy. The book made me feel heard, seen, and valued. I’d recommend everyone read the book, but I think it’s an especially great book for Black women.

- Something else I loved was the stories about her spending time with Angela Davis and Toni Morrison. How amazing is that?


All in all, preorder this book ASAP or purchase it once it's out. You will not regret it. I may even reread it via audio if there's an audiobook version narrated by Kimberlé Crenshaw. I also want this to be adapted into a biopic sooooo bad!

[Mia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sensational read. Everyone needs to read it. I'm SERIOUS. Every single person on the Earth, ever. This author is not only a master of craft, incredibly well-spoken and personable, but also a prestigious and sophisticated social justice icon. She has done so much for this country and pushed the marginalized out of the shadow. Not only that, but she is hilarious and warm. Her stories are poignant and universal. She has so many things to say that are vital toeveryone's well-being and pivotal to fostering compassion and unity. It's thought-provoking and insightful but also just a really incredibly-written book. I wish I could be in Crenshaw's presence, just to be blessed by her amazingness! This book came at exactly the moment that we need it most. Please, PLEASE, give it a read. It deserves to be seen and spread to everyone! An absolutely jaw-dropping, timely read.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Kimberlé Crenshaw will be a familiar name if you are passionate about social justice. And this acclaimed legal scholar, who coined and popularized the terms “intersectionality” and “critical race theory,” has now written a memoir that is a wonderfully engaging and accessible introduction to her person and ideas.

Move over, Laura Ingalls: young Kimberlé has the spunk and gumption of a classic young American protagonist. Part 1 of BACKTALKER is the most “familiar” in terms of its memoir format, and was a delight. Crenshaw’s spirit shines through as she recounts episodes from her childhood that formed the basis of her later thoughts on the ways in which racism and patriarchy overlap to particularly harm Black women and girls. A couple chapters made me cry; you’ll know when you get to them.

Parts 2 and 3 were a bit more challenging to read, as Crenshaw steps away from the typical memoir structure and dives more into key life events in which her theories on intersectionality and CRT come to the forefront. She writes about historical events such as Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court nomination and Anita Hill’s public hearing; the OJ Simpson murder trial and what it revealed about the US’ unwillingness to see how structural racism played a role; and Obama’s tepid response to Trayvon Martin’s murder and the way in which it overlooked Black girls. I did wish for a bit less reporting and more personal story in these sections, as that would have been more engaging. Still, I appreciated reading about these events through Crenshaw’s perspective, as clear examples of how our failure to understand and address intersectionality harms all, and does not create the progress that we truly need.

BACKTALKER was my introduction to Crenshaw’s writing, and I am definitely eager to read more from her. She is a strong and engaging writer, whose theories form an important backbone to contemporary activist work.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend that EVERYONE reads BACKTALKER. Crenshaw inspires, educates and informs readers. I enjoyed learning about her childhood, parents and her brother. This family and their love is what shaped Crenshaw and the legacy she has brought us with exploring the collective whole and community. This memoir leaves me wanting to know more about critical race theory and intersectionality. We need to keep talking about gender and race. We need to keep moving forward. Crenshaw’s memoir has given me hope and I want to keep learning.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting a peek into the life and history of the iconic Kimberlé Crenshaw, whose name and work I was first familiar with as a Women and Gender Studies major in undergrad. Crenshaw's work (including readings like "Mapping the Margins," and of course her concept of intersectionality) was foundational to my studies. As soon as I heard she had a memoir coming out, I placed a hold at my local library (shout out to San Francisco Public Library!).

I enjoyed learning about Crenshaw's early life as well as her beginnings as the civil rights advocate and scholar we know her to be today. It was especially fun to read about her overlaps with other iconic figures such as Toni Morrison, Angela Davis, Bryan Stevenson (a tiny mention, but I fan-girled super hard when I read that part), Anita Hill, etc. There was a bit of the book (shortly after the halfway point) that slowed down somewhat for me, but other than that, I was thoroughly engaged throughout the book and would highly recommend it.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unbelievably good and it needs to get much, much more attention. If you want something inspiring and backtalking to celebrate America's 250th, this is it.

[Mark Robison · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a brief scene in this often marvelous memoir that someone needs to make into fan fiction, a comic book series or a Netflix show. The author is in the backseat of a Jaguar, Toni Morrison is riding shotgun and driving is ... Angela Y. Davis!

Listening to the audiobook of the author narrating her amazing life, I thought this was 5 stars all the way as she told vignettes about things that'd happened to her — complete with a musical soundtrack of what she was listening to at the time — and how she developed the idea of intersectionality and coined the phrase critical race theory. I couldn't wait to buy my own copy to highlight ideas, recommendations and passages I wanted to revisit. If it weren't for the epilogue, I would've rated it 5 stars. But this formidable public intellectual ends by undercutting her legacy.

Her story is amazing. She grew up in the '60s as a reluctant backtalker who simply wasn't willing to stay quiet when someone needed to speak up, like at her church after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination when no one else was saying anything. She was 8 years old.

Her brother, a Vietnam vet, is shot to death at university and the police don't do anything to investigate who did it because it was "just" a bunch of black kids involved. In her own university days, she won't back down to an abusive boyfriend; he punches her in the face and tries to throw her out a 10th floor window; and her friends side with the guy because they don't want to make the black movement look bad and she does have a mouth on her.

She invents the concept of intersectionality while at law school (if I'm remembering the chronology right) while reviewing the case of a black woman who sues a Detroit automaker for discrimination. The automaker says it couldn't have discriminated against her because it hires lots of black men (as factory workers) and lots of women (all white, as secretaries and clerks). The author is, like, no, there's this intersection of race and sex where this black woman was uniquely discriminated against.

The author sits behind Anita Hill for support during the Clarence Thomas hearings. She's tapped as an expert commentator during the OJ Simpson trial. She becomes an advocate highlighting black women killed by police because their names seldom get anywhere near the attention of black men killed by police. See aapf.org.

A favorite scene is where she takes on the failures of the Obama administration to advocate for black women and Obama's advisor Valerie Jarrett tries to mansplain "intersectionality" to her.

Again, 5-star stuff. Just brilliant.

And then in the epilogue, oh boy. This person, who up to this point has spoken truth to power and seen through the smoke and noise to see the ways race and sex combine to create unique problems, goes on autopilot. She contends Kamala Harris lost because of sexism and racism. As a political reporter who has ridden in Harris' motorcade more than once and been to Trump rallies where "Joe and the Ho" merch was widely sold, I know she faced a lot of misogynoir. But racism and sexism weren't Harris' biggest problems. This isn't the place to detail them. (Really, though, she couldn't think of a single thing she would've done differently than Biden?)

The author did an eloquent job defending the foundations of Wokeness throughout the book — until the end, where she trots out its laziest, weakest arguments as if it's still 2019 and fails to engage any of the well-discussed reasons Trump made gains with black voters in the 2024.

She criticizes those who caricature affirmative action as reverse racism but then, as a law professor, decides not to look at any of the interesting arguments around how the Supreme Court recently addressed it or how other black public intellectuals like Coleman Hughes approach it. It felt like she's either in a bubble now (likely) or she's afraid of backtalking for fear of being cancelled, something that would happen at UCLA, where she's a law school professor (also likely but I suspect the first).

So disappointing. I would've knocked off only 1 star for the epilogue because I loved the rest so much, but since it undercuts her whole premise of being a backtalker, it's 2 stars off. She now seems incapable of backtalking the people who misinterpret intersectionality everywhere you look or the Woke scolds who turned off enough of the nation that millions of voters preferred Trump chaos to what the Democrats were offering. The left needs more backtalkers if it wants power back, but I'm not seeing that this author will help it going forward.

[Darien Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced to Crenshaw’s work, especially related to intersectionality, during my undergrad. I frequently revisited (and often applied it) to my own studies in both Political Science, a more likely home given its origins in legal studies, and Critical Studies. It, in conjunction with Patricia Hill Collins’ matrix of domination, provided a lens through which to understand systems of power and oppression as they intersect in the mixed identities and lived experiences of diverse peoples. These theories allowed for a contemporary critique rooted in the sociohistorical origins of those systems.

To revisit her work a half-decade later through this autobiographical format reminded me of that feeling of discovery. In Backtalker, Crenshaw allows us into her own lived experiences and understanding of the world around her that would birth intersectionality. It’s rooted in her upbringing amidst the Civil Rights Movement and the particularities of that moment in American history, but she so authoritatively connects that moment to the racial dynamics of the 80s and 90s (Rodney King, Anita Hill, OJ Simpson) to Obama and, ultimately, to the racial backlash resulting in Trump. Through all these moments the absolute criticality for intersectionality is maintained.

I was worried that the autobiographical style of this work would limit its applicability; that it would feel more tributary or nostalgic. Instead, it frames intersectionality as both personal and political (the adage largely attributed to Simone de Beauvoir used inversely in the epilogue) allowing the reader (or, in my case listener—and a great audiobook it is) to consider their own identities and dream of, and work toward, a future where, again borrowing Hill Collins’ words, they no longer exist, or more probably exist consciously and reparatively, on a matrix of domination.

[Violet Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tension and contradiction abound throughout my life, reflecting a complex dance with the notion of “we”—of race, of gender, of nation, of humanity—that can never be complete, nor ever fully abandoned."

Kimberlé Crenshaw has lived through so much since her childhood in the Civil Rights era as part of a politically active Black family, to now, and refused to be silent or accept things the way they are when there is inequality and injustice involved. In her career as a noted legal educator and advocate, she coined the terms and developed the theories of intersectionality and critical race theory, to see those terms twisted and turned caricatures of fear by the reactionary establishment.

But it's the ways Ms Crenshaw has experienced the intersections of sexism and racism as a black woman that I found most fascinating, and am reminded again that as white feminists we need to shut up, stand down, and make space for Black women.

Backtalker is educational without being pontificating, heartbreaking without being depressing, and inspiring that if Ms Crenshaw is still fighting, more of us need to keep speaking up instead of saying "I'm exhausted - I'll sit this one out"

"I am a backtalker. I don’t know if I am this way by choice, or was made this way by circumstance of the family I was raised in, the body I live in, the century I was born in, or the nation I was made in."

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expansive and moving depiction of her life, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s memoir “Backtalker” covers a lot of ground. The title introduces itself early on as a central theme to tie these individual stories together, and we see how early childhood moments lay the groundwork for the legal and theoretical work that would come later.

My absolute favorite parts of this book—and when I felt most connected to the writing—were in the depictions of Kimberlé’s family. The complex bonds between herself and her mother, father, and brother catapulted me through the first of the three sections. It truly felt like reading a love letter to her family and the pivotal moments in her childhood that led her to become the person who created the concepts of critical race theory and intersectionality (where I first learned about her, during my social work grad program). I did find that the momentum slowed down in the latter half of the book, as we follow Kimberlé through law school and into her professional career, but it was still very informative and engaging to read.

Overall, a solid 4 star read that I would absolutely recommend.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Karen Ashmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Crenshaw takes her readers through childhood, undergrad years at Cornell, and Harvard Law School to become one of the leading scholars on anti-racism and anti-sexism legal theory, especially how it impacts Black Women. In fact, she is the one who coined the terms “intersectionality” and “critical race theory”, which we all know makes tRump rabid.

As a longtime activist on these very issues, I have followed her for years. I was there in the chapters about Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill, Treyvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, domestic violence law, systemic reform, police brutality and more.

I was so excited while reading this book, I thought to myself, “I have to learn more about what shaped her incisive mind.” I was amazed to read that some of the same books that influenced me were the same authors that formed her foundation. Namely “This Bridge Called My Back”, which changed my life but also described intersectionality before it was a word. Highly recommend to those who follow critical race theory, and how much further we need to go to attain diversity, inclusivity, and equity.

[Cheryl Petrone]

I love memoirs. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw grew up in the 1970’s. Her Mom was a music teacher in a public school in Akron, Ohio. I liked the parts of the book when she was a high school student, as well as when she attended Cornell as an undergraduate, and Harvard for law school. Williams survived two very difficult deaths in her family, and she went through a very difficult time in 1991. The book introduced me to the theory of intersectionality and the ways that gender, race and class overlap. I recommend this non-fiction book that reads like a fiction book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is fascinating by theories and wants to learn more about intersectionality and critical race theory, this book was an obvious yes for me. Kimberlee Crenshaw has long been someone I’ve admired and sought out for learning. Her book was a great balance between memoir and theoretical frameworks. A must read for anyone who want to understand the original of CRT and intersectionality.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful autobiography of the woman who coined the terms "intersectionality" and "critical race theory." (236)

It's bookended by some important insights. "[T]he family, the partner, the community, the county that you love, can be the same family, partner, community, or country that abuses you, fails to protect you, or that overlooks your suffering. Neither affection nor appeals to mutuality can always protect you against inequitable patterns of power." (32).

"I have watched the experiences that have shaped my life and the words I fashioned to capture it be stolen, redefined, and weaponized in a campaign of mass destruction. To paraphrase Kendrick Lamar, this effort to destroy these words is bigger than the theory. It is about beating us down in a war to reclaim dominion of the few over the many." (367).

In between, she tells the story of becoming who she is. From her family's attempt to build a healthy and prosperous life in the shadow of Jim Crow to her father and brother's untimely death to being betrayed by Ohio to being the woman who saw right through the bullshit to have some of the insights that made the walls of the city shake.

Her grandfather was a doctor and bought property that he passed down. Canton took that property for pennies on the dollar because it could. She went to Girls State specifically to enlist the help of the Attorney General to keep things like that from happening. He wasn't interested.

She went into law to try to hold us to our creed. She still wants to, even though she knows that the same law that gives hope and occasional relief also holds the racial contours of the world in place. (373).

While this is a hell of a book and very well written, I did find it hard to read. I knew she was on Anita Hill's legal team, and as I approached that section, my grief and anger about the way Hill was treated and the consequences of that appointment were almost physically painful. We are so quick to dismiss Black women. Intersectionality matters.

I had a somewhat similar feeling as we approached Trayvon Martin and the White House response. To blame Trayvon's family for what a system that sees a Black child as a danger is heartbreaking. Crenshaw's confrontation with Valery Jarrett is fascinating. It apparently is part of why the Obama White House refused to work with Crenshaw, which absolutely staggers me. Well worth reading.

On March 7, 2026, the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Crenshaw was on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma. (361). Apparently from there you can see a water tower emblazoned with the words "SELMA, A Nice Place to Live." (361). And today, "Just as billy clubs pushed back the foot soldiers for democracy in Selma, the anti-woke assault is determined to reverse the progression towards integration, power, and justice. Although this level of retrenchment is shocking to some, this American faction has risen multiple times before. It operates under various brands across time -- Redeemers in the nineteenth century, MAGA in the twenty-first century -- but all are willing to force suppression, and unquestioned authority to advance their antidemocratic aims. nostalgia for the past -- before the end of slavery, before the rise of civil rights, before the election of Obama - is the glue that holds them together." (362-63).

Ends with a bang:

"At some point, future history books will tell stories about what is happening now. Maybe, they will tell the story of how money, new technologies, and old entitlements held us back long enough to forget the spirit of freedom that inspired ordinary people to fight against the odds. Maybe that story will reflect intersectional failures that undermined our ability to see the fight for democracy and the fight for racial justice are inseparable, the mirror images of the succubus twins that Morrison* invoked. My hope, though, is that the future will look back to tell a different story, one about how the spirit of freedom was nurtured by talking back against agendas that turned on ignorance and forced compliance. I hope ours will be a legacy that lives on through efforts to nurture, sustain, and grow a democracy that is shaped not from top down by race, gender, power, and privilege, but instead by the victories of those who rose up to create new possibilities for everyone." (373-74).

This I believe. May we make it so.

*an allusion to Toni Morrison's great essay, Racism and Fascism, available at https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.....

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw grew up in Canton, Ohio. When she was in kindergarten, everyday the teacher had the children perform a fairytale. The children played different roles: fairy godmother, King and Queen, a handsome prince, horses, pigs, and mice, and Princess Thorn Rosa who was locked in the castle by a wicked witch. A song was sung about her by the other children stating she was a pretty child five times. Every girl wanted to play her. As the school year went by, Kimberlé played mostly the animals, and was especially good as the witch. But try she might, she was never asked to be Thorn Rosa.
As the school year ended, asked the teacher if she would be Thorn Rosa. The teacher would say “tomorrow.” The very last day as the children were collecting their belongings to take home, Kimberlé reminded the teacher. The teacher said it was very late, but yes, let’s do it. The group gathered and started only to have the bell ring. Everyone ran to get their stuff and go outside. The teacher took them into the yard and as they gathered to sing the song their mothers called their child to go home. Kimberly learned about prejudice against Blacks.
She told her mother. As she was getting ready to go to sleep that night, there was a knock on the door. Her teacher came in and apologized. They both learned a lesson.
Many of the chapters are about Kimberlé’s family, experiences while she was growing up and then going to college included the reaction to the death of Martin Luther King. In high school she was selected for the Girls and Boys State in Columbus and got to speak with the governor. A major issue she brought up was Urban Renewal and Highway Development and its effects on the impacted neighborhoods on property destruction and population displacement. The destruction of forced the previous residents to sell their property at lower than their value and then find other homes, often in more expensive locations. The governor ignored her concerns.
After high school, she went to Cornell University and then to Harvard Law School. She chose Harvard because of Professor Derrick Bell’s class on Constitutional Law and Minority Issues. When she got there, the professor was no longer on the staff and the course had been canceled. Professor Bill was replaced by a white man. When she asked the Dean about offering it again with a Black professor, he replied “Wouldn’t you prefer an excellent white professor over mediocre Black one?”
Kimberlé became very involved with issues involving Blacks on campus and in society. Eventually, that interest expanded to include discrimination against lacks in their schools, neighborhoods, and the justice system. Segregated schools were illegal, but de facto segregation was widespread.
She discusses issues like Clarence Thomas versus Thurgood Marshall, the response to Treyvon Martin murder by George Zimmerman, the Black Lives Matter movement,
In one chapter, she spoke about an experiment with a group. She asked them all to stand up well she did while she read a list of names.When they heard a name they recognized, they sat down. Most people recognized the first names. Very few recognize the later ones. After no one was left
standing, she pointed out to the first group of names were Black males killed by police. The later, mostly unknown names were Black females.
She sharply criticized My Brother’s Keeper, a program started by President Obama to help boys of color in today’s society. There was no comparable program for the girls who faced many of the same problems.
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw strongly believed we need to be extremely active in helping both Blacks and girls in America. She served in many organization, taught Columbia Law School and introduced the terms “ Critical Race Theory” and “Intersectionality” into our vocabulary.
BACKTALKER is the autobiography of a woman who made a big difference in the treatment of people in the United States. It is definitely worth reading and learning.

[Sam Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crenshaw offers us a look into her personal life to give context for her ideas that would solidify over time. Most notably, she anecdotally describes how intersectionality and CRT take shape in her thinking, concepts now embedded in our colloquial vernacular and legal system. She came of age under the tutelage of her activist parents, who took part in integrating their public schools in Canton, OH. Her musically minded mom (a teacher) was particularly influential because her dad, Walter, and older brother, Mantel, passed when she was in grade school. She inherited their passionate fight for justice and equality, and she would build on their work, especially in the legal arena.

More specifically, in her scholarly work, she identifies Black as a proper noun to appropriately denote a social, ethnic, and cultural group of American people. Crenshaw develops Black feminism, which fights against a toxic masculinity and patriarchy while carving space for a Black woman in predominantly white feminist academic settings (contra white solipsism). During her formal studies at Cornell (Government and Africana Studies), Harvard Law, and UW Law, she recognizes that feminism is not mutually exclusive to Africanist studies of race. She posits that it is our collective “responsibility to articulate a more useful feminism [that] rests on those of us who believe our experiences are not accounted for in theory and practice.”

To intersect consequences and interrogate power, Crenshaw offers Anita Hill (a Black woman) and Nicole Brown Simpson (a white woman) as examples of gender-based violence. The two women were caught in the public eye, and the law did not help them.

In addition to race and gender, she incorporates one’s socioeconomic position as a third factor to attaining equity in America’s legal system. She demonstrates that the intersection of these three isms can cause vulnerability. She critiques Obama for ignoring Black mothers and forgetting Black girls during this presidency.

I wonder how a thinker who follows Aristotelian metaphysics (common in my world) could find her framework problematic. Why would it not be possible to follow that, if gender and ethnicity are accidents, these realities could affect one’s experience of the world? Even if one dismisses the notion of structural racism in America (which I find unconvincing), it seems to me that it is entirely plausible for one to suggest some implication can follow because accidents are real. Yes, one would have to argue for the implications that can follow; I only mean that there is space to make this argument. In response to conservative administrations that remove “the vocabulary needed to tell … the [story of the] past,” Crenshaw opines that this erasure “destroys the foundation upon which civil rights and equality are grounded.”

Backtalker doesn’t further develop any of her ideas of race and gender discourse in the law and academia or update us on her new constitutional projects as such (and I wanted more of this). Rather, Crenshaw’s interest is to give us the context in which (a) her young mind pondered quandaries relevant to her and (b) her seminal frameworks and foundational texts would incubate. Her pioneering work in civil rights strives to fix how the law fails the vulnerable. And, since the political is personal, this memoir is insightful.

I should offer a brief note on Crenshaw’s dislike for the Socratic method of teaching: her preference for lecture-heavy classes in higher ed. is a point I most readily disagree with. I recognize that the version she experienced in class that penalized her was not conducive to her flourishing. However, if size allows, I would push for this dynamic, trial-by-fire setting for learning.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC.

[Elwira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

A wrong without a name leaves no safe harbor, no space that stands between you and the dangerous assumption that this suffering is just the way of the world, and that the responsibility is on you to accept it. Without acknowledgment, there is simply denial or self-blame.

I first came across Professor Crenshaw's work while researching for a college project, which has largely shaped the way I view systemic injustice and intersectionality. It was an absolute honour to see and hear Crenshaw discuss 'Backtalker' at the University of Edinburgh and to learn how the circumstances of her life became the basis of 'intersectionality', 'Critical Race Theory' and the #SayHerName campaign.

She traces her work to many chilhood and adulthood experiences.The 'legalised' theft of her mother's inherited property for 'urban renewal' revealed how the law could be weaponised to dispossess Black communities without the use of racist language. Violence from an ex-boyfriend at university revealed how the patriarchy operates, often with the silence and complicity of others. The murder of her brother, Mantel, rendered invisible by a justice system unmoved by Black lives, showed how institutions fail to protect those at the margins. And the systemic injustices of the education curriculum exposed how flawed these institutions truly are.

All of these experiences demanded a more complex understanding of injustice. Crenshaw argues that Black communities were forced into a false choice in the Clarence Thomas hearings: between supporting a Black man (Thomas) against racism, and a Black woman (Anita Hill) against sexism. She frames this as an intersectional failure (a moment when the community's 'we' solidarity was not complex enough to protect its most vulnerable individuals). Her #SayHerName campaign was a practical application of this observation, where the stories of Black women were invisible in the broader Black Lives Matter movement.

Furthermore, the Obama administration's 'My Brother's Keeper' initiative addressed obstacles faced by Black boys and men of colour but was silent on the parallel crisis facing Black girls and women of colour.

Crenshaw's call to expand the 'we' and her insistence that gender and racial justice are not separate provides a strong framework for ensuring that solidarity is never left incomplete.

Overall, Backtalker is a truly enlightening memoir from one of the most vital thinkers of our time.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Backtalker: An American Memoir by Kimberlé Crenshaw felt personal in a way I didn’t expect. As a Mount Holyoke alum, I was especially surprised by the story of her visiting campus as a prospective student. While I was embraced by Black cultural orgs during my own visit, they tried to sell her on the equestrian program and when she joked about not even having a horse, I felt that in my bones. That moment captures so much about who institutions imagine belonging for and who has to insist on being seen.

Crenshaw’s reflection on her late brother Mantel, featured alongside her on the cover, enlightened me. As one of two siblings, she names how he was her first mirror: her closest peer, and how witnessing the ways racism and sexism shaped her life differently than his sharpened her awareness early on. You can feel how those observations became the groundwork for what the world would later come to know as intersectionality.

My favorite aspects to read were the early stories like the childhood moment when she was denied the chance to play a princess in school and her parents insisted that the teacher come to their home and make amends. That kind of advocacy didn’t just protect her, it taught her that her voice mattered. And she carried that lesson forward, again and again.

From building Black feminist communities on campus to navigating racism and sexism in the U.S. and abroad, Crenshaw shows us a life shaped by both resistance and imagination. The memoir doesn’t shy away from complexity. She highlights cultural and political moments like the O. J. Simpson trial and the appointment of Clarence Thomas following Thurgood Marshall which ground her personal journey within a broader American landscape.

This book peels back the curtain on one of the most important thinkers of our time. It’s not just about theory but it’s about the lived experiences, relationships, and moments of courage that made intersectional theory and critical race theory necessary.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Simon Books for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! #SimonBooksBuddy

In her memoir, Kimberlé Crenshaw walks readers through her upbringing in Canton, Ohio, to her time at Harvard Law, to her subsequent career as a luminary in the field of race and gender studies. If you’ve ever heard or used the term intersectionality, a core tenant of critical race theory, then you NEED to know the story of Kimberlé Crenshaw. She walks through the anecdotes from her childhood that helped to shape the development of intersectionality, the cognitive dissonance of the O.J. Simpson trial, her positionality and hope living through the election of the first Black president, her leadership in the #SayHerName movement, and of course, the recent federal censorship of terms like intersectionality.

I love memoirs, specifically because they demonstrate the ordinary events that lead to extraordinary stories, and Kimberlé Crenshaw's memoir is a prime example of this. There were so many stories of her being left behind by feminism that centered white women, and racial and civil rights that centered men. It’s an unfiltered account, a reclamation of the term “backtalker” that feels both vulnerable and inspirational. She’s such a gifted writer, with immersive and riveting storytelling alongside practical analytics. With her revolutionary voice, she’s the definition of a backtalker.

Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.

Read this book if you:
📝were ever a Girls or Boys State nerd
📣 shout #SayHerName
🚦use the term “intersectionality”

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[Payton Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

To put thoughts to words for this book would be hard, but as a fellow attorney, this book was so compelling. I learned a lot about living as a black woman in the 1960s and 1970s, especially during the school age times, and to have events described I had only learned due to law school overall just proves the point of this book a million times over. I really sat with this book, Kimberlè Crenshaw has a way with words, she is so great at placing the reader in her head, letting them experience these events as if living in her memories of a time, where I mostly wasn’t alive.

I think what also really was profound to me, was hearing an adult, nearly the same age as my father, describe every event they both lived through with such widely different perspectives. From the school desegregation, to Clarence Thomas appointment, the OJ Trial, Obama’s election and presidency and more. As a result, I really could not put this book down after I began part II. Mixing in the law, I love to learn about the legal history, and the classes Kimberlè Crenshaw pushed for Harvard Law to teach, that would be come widely available across law schools, makes me wish I could have learned more that the basics that I did learn. I think, if anything, this book serves as a reminder to continue to learn about the U.S. history we weren’t taught, but also to fight for the things we believe in, even if you end up going against strong opponents.

There were a few NYT opinions, and law review articles I so want to read now, so I’ll have to go look those up!

[Jamie Cha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give the book 4.5 stars. I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I had not heard of the author before this book. I was so interested in the topic.

The book is so interesting. Her life's story is fascinating. The book talks about the history of racism and misogyny too. It's hard to separate the authors life from her work.

The book is fairly easy to read. I read the book in about 2 weeks. The chapters are fairly short. The book is kinda long. There is really no way to make the book any shorter.

The book is about celebrating wins and dealing with the losses. The wins and losses are apparent in the authors life and the history of racism and misogyny. She has done so much. Yet, there is so much to be done.

She focuses a lot on women of color and sexism. It's something that doesn't get talked about enough. She even calls out those that are rarely called out.

The book is so relevant today. While reading this book, the voting rights act was just destroyed. I hope others will appreciate this book for all that it offers.

I am grateful to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I hope I am able to see the author in person for a book talk. I am interested in what the author does next.

[Kirah M’Lyssa Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backtalker has been one of my favorite reads of the year.

As someone pursuing my doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a focus on HRD, I greatly admire Crenshaw’s research and impact. Her work on intersectionality and critical race theory (CRT) has shaped the way so many of us understand identity, power, systems, and how people are often forced into the narrow boxes society creates for them.

What made this memoir so powerful was reading about the moments and crucibles that shaped her thinking. Crenshaw does not just write about theory from a distance. She shows how lived experience, resistance, and “talking back” can become a way of challenging systems that were never built with everyone in mind.

I especially appreciated how this book connects the personal, political, and academic without losing the human-centric aspects that make a memoir so enjoyable. It made me think about my own work, the research I care about, and the responsibility we ALL have to keep questioning the systems people are expected to accept.

I could not recommend this book more; I highly recommend adding it to your TBR.


**Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for an advance copy for an honest review. All opinions are my own**

[Andi_loves_2_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this memoir, Kimberle Crenshaw explains the origin of her confidence; she has always been a Backtalker!
I am familiar with Critical Race Theory, but hadn’t heard of intersectionality or the pioneer of both, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw. I enjoyed learning about her childhood and admire her ability to speak up and speak out whenever she felt it necessary, no matter how many hands were working hard to keep her mouth shut!
I cannot relate to the personal racial disparities that she speaks of, but I am a woman and can relate to the gender disparities - I admire her all the more for fighting against both racial and gender disparities.
Kimberle Williams Crenshaw is a force to be reckoned with and everyone can learn from her. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy memoirs of smart people who stand up for themselves and others. I wish that every American would read this.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kate Hergott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Being a backtalker is like being lactose intolerant. There are things that I cannot digest. To accept anything close to second-class status as the price of belonging sickens me."

Kimberlé Crenshaw masterfully shares the profound personal moments of her life that lead to her intense exploration of social issues across multiple decades. As a principal founder of Critical Race Theory, intersectionalism, and our understanding of misogynoir, she traces moments in her childhood that made her acutely aware of the social intersection she was experiencing as a Black woman. With that foundation, she depicts her opinions and actions in adulthood in relation to multiple historic events, including the confirmation of Clarence Thomas despite Anita Hill's testimony, the OJ Simpson trial, the Me Too movement, and more.

Backtalker is heartbreaking, empowering and revelatory, and a beautiful depiction of many Black feminist women, in addition to Crenshaw.

[Deirdre Megan Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever been told to “stay in your lane,” Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Backtalker is a masterclass in why that’s overrated. From a five-year-old in Canton, Ohio questioning her teacher to a legal powerhouse reshaping how we talk about justice, Crenshaw’s voice is sharp, fearless, and impossible to ignore. The memoir crackles with moments that are both deeply personal and historically momentous, especially as she unpacks the roots of intersectionality and critical race theory. What makes this a five-star read is how she threads pain, insight, and defiance into something that feels urgent right now. It’s not just a memoir, it’s a call to notice what’s been hidden in plain sight. Smart, stirring, and just the right amount of spunky, Backtalker demands you rethink the rules.

[Stephanie Dargusch Borders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit of a longer audiobook (at least for me,) clocking in at around 17 hours. The beginning was my favorite just because Crenshaw is a natural born story teller and hearing the stories from her childhood was riveting.

Having coined terms and theories like intersectionality and critical race theory, it was fascinating to hear the genesis straight from the creator’s mouth. Likewise she framed it among the relevant social backdrop of the 90s, including Anita Hill’s senate judiciary testimony and OJ Simpson’s acquittal. Having been familiar with both of these events, I really appreciated seeing them through a different lens and noting things about both scenarios that I hadn’t recognized before.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our current US social & political history...by a voice that is very different in experience, in education, in daily living, and in color (which should NOT make for difference in any human).

If you do not have the time (and try your best to MAKE the time) to read this memoir/autobiography in its entirety, DO READ the Epilogue which is a clear photo of where we are in the US right now and how we got to this point...not just our long ago history, but in our daily life as it is encountered by those who are "othered" in the very country they built. If you are not angered, then you had better ask yourself & search why not.

[Harley Quinn]

2026 DNF, 5/28: GOT TO 48% (OR ~192 PAGES). My 12th DNF of 2026. Published just 23 days ago on 5/5/26, this is a highly-rated memoir (at least by the 78 people who’ve rated it so far) that I enjoyed for the first 33% or so through her childhood, but after it got into high school and college, it got more political. Which of course matches who she is, but I didn’t really know her before I started it so wasn’t attached to finishing. Especially with mounting pressures of 8 other fiction (i.e. more fun) holds that came in around the same time. I’m not sure if I will attempt again.

[Wolf Bahren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly personal memoir that brought tears to my eyes more than once. Describing pivotal events in her life in a relatable, authentic way, Crenshaw SHOWS how she came to be the scholar and activist she is. She also effectively illuminates much about the American experience for her family as well as for Black people, and specifically Black women. For anyone trying to understand the origins of the concept of "intersectionality" and/or "critical race theory," this memoir fills in many missing pieces.