Paper short abstract:

Black feminist thought has been at the forefront of efforts within the academy to decolonize theory and praxis for the last several decades. In my presentation, I discuss how Black feminist thought helps us to reflect upon relations of power that shape our teaching and the production of knowledge.

Paper long abstract:

Black feminist thought has been at the forefront of efforts within the academy to decolonize theory and praxis for the last several decades. In my presentation, I discuss the ways in which Black feminist thought can help us to reflect upon the kinds of relations of power that shape our teaching practices and the production of knowledge in and beyond the classroom. This discussion has two throughlines. First, I draw, by way of autoethnographic example, on my own teaching experiences and trajectory over the last decade, in order to demonstrate how “teaching to transgress” (1994), as Black feminist scholar bell hooks termed it, might be realized through the incorporation of certain modes of pedagogical practice. We can consider education and the site of the classroom, in other words, a space for the work of social justice. Second, I engage Black feminist scholarship and highlight its insights for the inclusion of diverse epistemological positionings that represent the everyday experiences of members of marginalized communities.