In the traces of the origins of intersectionality

Claudia Jones and the Triple Oppression

Abstract

Claudia Jones, born Claudia Vera Cumberbatch, was an intellectual, journalist, poet, and activist born in Trinidad and Tobago. She migrated with her family to the United States during her childhood and lived part of her life in Harlem, New York, until she became the target of political persecution, which led to her imprisonment and exile to England. This article aims to present, even if in an introductory way, the trajectory of this Afro-Caribbean thinker, understanding that her life experience is deeply intertwined with her activism and intellectual production. Furthermore, we raise the question of her absence in our academic field and, finally, analyze her work in relation to the concept of “triple oppression”, understanding it as an analytical tool that predates intersectionality and is used to grasp the experience of Black women. To achieve this, we will conduct a literature review on the subject, drawing on U.S. academic work, biographies, and autobiographies through the biographical method.