Andrew Lear’s Post

At the uMsunduzi and Ncome Museums' 12th Courageous Conversations Conference yesterday, Dr Pedro Mzileni made a profound observation which rendered fallacious the view that when we talk diversity we are only talking black people interacting and mixing with other race groups, especially whites. He correctly pointed out that black people constitute an overwhelming majority in this country, a majority which is not monolithic but diverse. This observation got me thinking about the obvious and not-so-obvious variables that constitute intra-black diversity and the extent to which these markers of difference divide or unite us, render us resilient or vulnerable, and so forth. By the way, it was the tribal differences, among other things, that won our colonisers their victory over us, not their 'superior' fire power. I often wonder if the Zulus in the interior in the 1700s right up to 1838 and beyond did not catch even a whiff about the wars that were raging in the Cape against colonial incursions for a solid 100 years. If they did, why didn't they go down to help? Let's just say, for their sake, that they didn't know until the enemy was on their door step. It is a poignant tale that by the time the Zulus clashed with the British at Isandlwana, Africans at the Cape had been pushing back the tide of colonisation for a century. I accept as a fact the intra-black diversity Dr Mzileni pointed out. But the question is: Is this diversity a strength or weakness? If it is a weakness, how do we turn it into a strength, a formidable force. I do not entertain hierarchies of urgency when it comes to difference being used to render others less human. I despise all forms of prejudice, equally. I cannot prioritize speaking out against certain prejudices as if some prejudices are less dehumanising and less emasculating, less divisive, less fatal than others. I hate white supremacist mentality towards blacks as much as I hate supremacist mentality when it's directed at women by men, at the poor by the rich, at the differently-abled by the abled, at the LGBTQI+ community by heterosexuals, at non-South African nationals by South African nationals, at the so-called non-believers by the so-called believers, and so on and so forth. No form of prejudice or arrogance or supremacist tendency is spared in my world. I take no prisoners. I hold no punches. In my view, the social cohesion and nation building project should mean a united and integrated front to exorcise all these demons in one fell swoop, not in fragmented and atomised sanctimonious platitudes and collective but inconsequential indignation.

"Race and Racism in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Crossview from Brazil" is now available in paperback! This fascinating book discusses the racial issue in Latin America by inserting Brazil’s perspective within the regional debate, at once contrasting with more common nationally-focused perspectives and highlighting the exchange between the luso and hispano worlds. Through this dialogical scheme, the volume aims to offer a panorama of the historical and contemporary debates on the racial issue across the region. It emphasizes, in particular, slavery’s inheritance, the persistent subordination of the black population along with its mobilization and exchanges, the centrality of the anti-racist struggle and its main actors and intellectuals, the impact of multicultural and racial equality policies, and the development of categorizations. Order your copy from De Gruyter's website https://lnkd.in/dXKMF46M #race #racism #Brazil #LatinAmerica #politics #sociology

Today, we commemorate a pivotal moment in American history - Juneteenth! On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally freed, marking the end of slavery in the United States. This day represents the triumph of the human spirit, resilience, and the fight for freedom and equality. We celebrate Juneteenth to honor the ancestors who endured unimaginable suffering, to acknowledge the progress made towards a more equitable society, and to recognize the ongoing struggle for true freedom and justice. Yet, we also acknowledge that there is still much work to be done. We still have a long way to go to achieve true racial equality, justice, and equity. Let us continue to educate ourselves, engage in meaningful conversations, and work together towards a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Let us honor the past, celebrate our progress, and keep pushing forward towards a brighter future for all. #Juneteenth #Freedom #Equality #Justice #Emancipation #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #StillWeRise

Today, we honor Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This day, also known as Freedom Day, serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience, strength, and enduring spirit of the African American community. As we commemorate Juneteenth, let us reflect on its significance and the ongoing journey toward true equality and justice. It's a time to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and contributions of African Americans while acknowledging the challenges that remain. Juneteenth is not just a day of celebration but a call to action. As we honor the past, let's commit to creating a future where freedom, justice, and equality are truly realized for all. Happy Juneteenth! Let's continue the journey towards a more inclusive and just society. #Juneteenth #FreedomDay #BlackHistory #Equality #Justice #Celebration #Reflection #Progress

The Latina/o/x Studies Association will soon be launching the Afro-Latin@* Reader: Vol 2 & is now accepting submissions. This volume highlights the directions in which #AfroLatinxStudies as a field has developed and made major contributions to Black and Latinx Studies, among other fields. This volume focuses on contemporary concerns and developments in Afro-Latinx* Studies that center #Blackness and #Indigeneity, #gender, #sexuality, #queerness, #history, #community, #spirituality, #culturalproductions, and #politics through #transdisciplinary dialogues. #Researchers, #educators, #artists, #activists, #writers, and independent scholars, among others are encourages to submit papers Full information here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dMYJQ-vS

Today, we honor Juneteenth—a pivotal moment in American history that marks the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. This day is not just a celebration of freedom but a powerful reminder of the long and ongoing journey toward equality and justice. As we commemorate this significant day, let us reflect on the resilience, courage, and enduring spirit of those who fought for freedom and those who continue to fight for civil rights today. Juneteenth is a time to educate ourselves, engage in meaningful conversations, and take actionable steps toward creating a more inclusive and equitable society. At FosterThomas, we are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that our collective efforts can make a profound impact. Today and every day, let's stand together in solidarity, celebrate our progress, and recommit to the work that still lies ahead. Let's honor this day with reflection, learning, and a renewed commitment to justice and equality for all. #Juneteenth #FreedomDay #Equality #Diversity #Inclusion #Justice #History #CelebrateFreedom

I was really honoured to be in conversation with the amazing Chikere Igbokwe (She/Her) from “INCLUCIVE” - Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy yesterday about how white women can be allies to the global majority 365 days per year (not just during Black History Month.) If that overwhelms you because you're really busy, keep reading. We discussed the internal processes that are running white women crazy (seeking perfectionism, competing with one another, and being blinded to our racism through the gender lens.) So we suffer because we're not being effective to standing up to the patriarchy, we get upset (cry white woman tears) when people call out our racism and we dominate the global majority by gaslighting, policing niceness, microagressions, and much, much more. This is not a recipe for happiness. Nor is it effective in bringing down patriarchy or white supremacy. But there is a way forward. It starts with education (so please do watch this conversation.) Followed by taking baby steps with your new found knowledge. Those baby steps start to produce new and inspiring results. Which inspires you to take bolder, and more courageous actions. Which starts to produce bigger results. Which inspires you to take bolder, and more courageous actions. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. This is the way forward for authentic and powerful allyship. Plus added bonus, hear about all of the amazing Black Brits Chikere shared with us. Let me know if this inspires you to take some action. https://lnkd.in/du4CiMQs #inclusion #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #Allyship #DEI #WhiteWomen

A movement toward queerness: in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, José Esteban Muñoz contends: “Queerness is not yet here. Queerness is an ideality. Put another way, we are not yet queer, but we can feel it as the warm illumination of horizon imbued with potentiality. We have never been queer, yet queerness exists for us as an ideality that can be distilled from the past and used to imagine a future. The future is queerness's domain.” “Just Rhetoric” promises space to cultivate a collective vision of the future through a lens of Epochtypical Queer Literacy. My work alchemizes written, visual, and aural rhetoric and conceptual tidbits from Afrofuturism, Black speculative fiction, sociopoetics, and Critical Race Theory into digital humanities projects guided by queered methods to advance racial equity and explore the possibilities of public-facing rhetoric, holding space for conversations that question and reify rhetoric’s immutable role in debates on belonging. I look forward to discussing how epochtypical queer literacy fuses multiple literacies into a framework guided by 'ustopian' ideology – a term borrowed from Dr. Ruha Benjamin, who in turn draws on Margaret Atwood. Multiple literacies radically queer the Western canon toward race-conscious, love-driven transcultural praxis enacted by those of us who occupy cultural liminal spaces: the “we who recognize no Other,” as Alondra Nelson opines. A movement toward queerness aptly describes this worldmaking project informed by Freire’s notion of “reading the world,” urging us to understand the complex social, political, and cultural contexts shaping our lives. Claremont Graduate University The Phi Beta Kappa Society San Diego State University #communication #culturalliteracy #worldbuilding #belonging

I think the reviewer here misunderstands what the book is doing: "Countless works that don’t fit the bill — Hamlet, Lear, Much Ado — are skimmed over or ignored. Similarly Tosh writes loftily that “to consider [Shakespeare’s] queer life is in no way to erase the significance of his wife” Anne Hathaway, or his three children. But whenever they crop up they seem like awkward bollards impeding his linear progress. Gay relationships in Shakespeare’s plays suggest he was gay in real life: straight marriages in them “don’t follow a pattern from which we can infer an autobiographical portrait”." First it is not an encyclopedia of queer potentialities in the dramatic canon. But it is also not the case that these plays are free of queerness - Hamlet may have loved Ophelia, but he dies in a man's arms who calls him "sweet prince"; Lear's body is queerly experiencing 'hysterica passio' and two of his daughters don't confirm to gender expectations/ideals (a servant seems to expect to see a beard); and both Beatrice and Benedick spend quite a lot of the play queerly determined not to fall in with societal expectations of heterosexual coupling. Nor is it an attempt to argue a binary either/or biography - that would be anachronistic. Rather, it seems to me that the book points to the queerness that was inherent to the lives of many men, notwithstanding the fact that "the world must be peopled". Indeed, for me, the most important queer lives in the book are not those of Shakespeare himself, but Marlowe, King James VI/I and particularly Richard Barnfield - whose works are little known to the general reader. https://lnkd.in/edRFw6yQ

🌟 Honoring Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom and Resilience 🌟 Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a pivotal moment in American history. On this day in 1865, news of emancipation reached the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the African American community. It's a time to reflect on the progress made and the ongoing journey toward true equality and justice for all. At The People Company Consulting Group, we are committed to fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all that we do. We believe that understanding and honoring our history is crucial in creating a more inclusive and equitable future. Join us in celebrating this important day. Let's continue to educate, advocate, and take meaningful action toward a society where freedom and justice are a reality for everyone. #Juneteenth #FreedomDay #Emancipation #DEI #ThePeopleCompanyConsultingGroup #EqualityForAll