My praxis consists of two interrelated and evolving streams that propel my teaching. First, we examine the construction of race, gender, class, and sexuality through decolonial authors such as Aníbal Quijano, María Lugones, Rita Segato, Enrique Dussel, and Immanuel Wallerstein and what they define as the formation of the world system. For example, my lectures include historical accounts and dialogues about how colonial expansion evolved into the European imperialist project through capital accumulation, which was facilitated by the plunder and exploitation of colonized peoples and their lands, as well as the extermination and appropriation of their knowledge. Building on these historical accounts, students analyze how this epistemicide created specific and universalized hierarchical categories to classify people (e.g., race, gender, class, and sexuality). Second, we analyze how critical and decolonizing approaches—such as arts-based, place-based, feminist, and futured-oriented methodologies—function as spaces for imagining alternative futures, empowerment, collective expression, community, and civic engagement to advance transnational dialogues and mobilization from different epistemic positions. This analysis also includes how media and technologies function in this process.

Record of Courses Taught