. What are the central ideas of this writer, poet, thinker, filmmaker, or artist? Cameroonian philosopher, political theorist, and public intellectual Achille Mbembe understands “Black reason” as a collection of “voices, pronouncements, discourses, forms of knowledge, commentary, and non-sense, whose object is things or people “of African origin.” Mbembe says that these narratives “provided the… Continue reading The Subject of Race (Pages 25-31; 35-37)- Achille Mbembe

Achille Mbembe is a Cameroonian historian, political theorist, and public intellectual. In Critique of Black Reason, Mbembe offers a genealogy of the category of Blackness—from the Atlantic slave trade to the present—to critically reevaluate history, racism, and the future of humanity. Tracing the conjunction of Blackness with the biological fiction of race, he theorizes Black reason as the collection… Continue reading The Subject of Race (Pages 10-20)- Achille Mbembe

Writing Exercise Why is preserving culture important for the human experience? Is there something you do in your family to preserve your cultural heritage? When Alfredo Duquesne, one of the people interviewed in the film, says “My body is in Cuba but my soul is in Africa,” how does that resonate with you? Have you ever experienced a similar… Continue reading They Are We- Emma Christopher

What ideas come to mind when you see this artwork, “When I Am not here/ Estoy allá, 1994” created by Afro-Cuban multidisciplinary artist, María Magdalena Campos-Pons? Brainstorming exercise .Write a concise reflection using the following prompts  A. If you identify as an Afro-Latina/o/x: Write about the intersection of your Black and Latinx identities. You can… Continue reading Welcome + María Magdalena Campos-Pons