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Africana Political Theory as Decolonial Critique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

Derefe Kimarley Chevannes Open the ORCID record for Derefe Kimarley Chevannes [Opens in a new window]
Derefe Kimarley Chevannes*
Affiliation:
University of Memphis, USA
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Abstract

This article illuminates a fundamental problem at the core of canonical political theory: the racialization of knowledge. It contends that the history of canonical thought as being necessarily Western and, therefore, European American, means the emergence of epistemic racism produces enormous consequences for the practice of philosophical thought—namely, Africana political theory (APT). Thus, this article raises important questions such as the colonization of reason, as well as the ongoing relationship between political theory and race, such that the specter of anti-black racism manifests and becomes intertwined with the foundations of the canon. Ultimately, the article proffers APT as decolonial critique to complicate and expand the parameters of philosophical practice. The overall consequences for the discipline, its students, and its practitioners actualize an ongoing movement for black liberation.

Type
Article
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 57 , Issue 4 , October 2024 , pp. 456 - 461
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Political Science Association

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