Oppression Olympics

English

Etymology

First attested in 1993, see quotation below, but one source describes it as being in use "several years" before 1995.[1] Attributions include unidentified students[1][2] and Elizabeth V. Spelman.[3]

Noun

Oppression Olympics (plural not attested)

(derogatory, slang, figurative) Competition between marginalized groups to be considered the most subject to oppression.
- 1993 May 12, Angela Y. Davis, Elizabeth Martínez, “Coalition Building Among People of Color”, in María Ochoa, Teresia Teaiwa, editors, Enunciating Our Terms: Women of Color in Collaboration and Conflict (Inscriptions)‎, volume 7, University of California: Santa Cruz Center for Cultural Studies, published 1994:
  [ELIZABETH] MARTÍNEZ: […] But the general idea is no competition of hierarchies should prevail. No “Oppression Olympics”!

References

Robin J. Ely (1995) “The Role of the Dominant Identity and Experience in Organizational Work on Diversity”, in Susan E. Jackson, Marian N. Ruderman, editors, Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace‎, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, →ISBN, page 170: “Several years ago, a student in the class aptly named this dynamic "the Oppression Olympics."”
Elizabeth Martínez (1994) “Afterword”, in Elena Featherston, editor, Skin Deep: Women Writing on Color, Culture, and Identity, Freedom: The Crossing Press, →ISBN, pages 222–223: “People of color need to turn today's swiftly changing demographics into a source of strength rather than a new round of divide-and-conquer games. "Beware the Oppression Olympics," as a student I met once said.”
Linda A. Bell (1995) “Introduction”, in Linda A. Bell, David Blumenfeld, editors, Overcoming Racism and Sexism‎, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, →ISBN, page 11: “It neither appropriates the pain of others nor engages in what Spelman has called elsewhere [not in Inessential Woman] an "Oppression Olympics," that is, an irrelevant effort to determine who has suffered the most.”

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[Ely-1] Robin J. Ely (1995) “The Role of the Dominant Identity and Experience in Organizational Work on Diversity”, in Susan E. Jackson, Marian N. Ruderman, editors, Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace‎, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, →ISBN, page 170: “Several years ago, a student in the class aptly named this dynamic "the Oppression Olympics."”

[2] Elizabeth Martínez (1994) “Afterword”, in Elena Featherston, editor, Skin Deep: Women Writing on Color, Culture, and Identity, Freedom: The Crossing Press, →ISBN, pages 222–223: “People of color need to turn today's swiftly changing demographics into a source of strength rather than a new round of divide-and-conquer games. "Beware the Oppression Olympics," as a student I met once said.”

[3] Linda A. Bell (1995) “Introduction”, in Linda A. Bell, David Blumenfeld, editors, Overcoming Racism and Sexism‎, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, →ISBN, page 11: “It neither appropriates the pain of others nor engages in what Spelman has called elsewhere [not in Inessential Woman] an "Oppression Olympics," that is, an irrelevant effort to determine who has suffered the most.”