Language, Literature, and Culture
There Is No Socio-Political Transformation Without an Epistemic Revolution: On Democratizing the Literature Classroom through Antiracist Pedagogy
Document Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
Written by a postcolonial/decolonial scholar whose primary area of instruction is francophone literatures and cultures, this chapter describes the antiracist actions undertaken in a new course on Afrofuturism: Democratizing learning and the educational experience through horizontal, communal knowledge production and the validation of diverse learners and ways of knowing. This chapter identifies ways to leverage Afrofuturism as a tool to organize the course materials, develop more authentic and diverse assignments, and innovate in teaching. It also outlines how this praxis transformed the instructor's other courses and concludes with a reflection on structural barriers to antiracist pedagogy. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Jie Y. Park and Laurie Ross; individual chapters, the contributors.
Publication Title
Towards a Community of Antiracist Praxis in Higher Education: Transformative Principles, Practices, and Resources for the Classroom
Publication Date
1-2025
First Page
188
Last Page
203
ISBN
9781040418444
DOI
10.4324/9781003472087-12
Keywords
antiracism, literary canon, literature, higher education, teaching
Repository Citation
Ferly, Odile, "There Is No Socio-Political Transformation Without an Epistemic Revolution: On Democratizing the Literature Classroom through Antiracist Pedagogy" (2025). Language, Literature, and Culture. 22.
https://commons.clarku.edu/llc/22
