Shifting the center definition
Shifting the center means putting at the center of our thinking the experiences of groups that have formerly been excluded. Otherwise, many groups simply remain invisible. When they are seen, they are typically judged through the experiences of White people, rather than understood on their own terms; this establishes a false norm through which all groups are judged. Shifting the center is not just about illuminating the experiences of oppressed groups, however, but changes how we understand the dominant culture and groups who have more power and privilege than others. “The exclusionary thinking we have relied upon in the past simply does not reveal the intricate interconnections that exist between the different groups composing American society” (Anderson and Hill Collins 2004).