Ochy Curiel. Aportes del feminismo decolonial antirracista en la lucha anticolonial

Introduction to Decolonial Feminism

Overview of the Workshop

• A warm greeting from Bogotá, expressing hope for everyone's well-being and excitement about participating in the international workshop.

• The speaker aims to share key issues from a decolonial feminist perspective that are crucial for liberation projects affecting not only Afro-descendants but all marginalized groups globally.

Background of the Speaker

• The speaker is part of the Latin American Feminist Training and Action Group (GFAS), which connects various feminists across Latin America and among migrants in Spain.

• They focus on creating decolonial feminist actions and building relevant theoretical frameworks.

Key Concepts in Decolonial Feminism

Foundations of Decolonial Feminism

• The presentation will cover what decolonial feminism entails, drawing primarily from critical feminist theories and decolonial thought.

• Critiques will be directed at both mainstream feminism and leftist movements, followed by key proposals from a decolonial feminist standpoint. Finally, there will be discussions on art's role within this framework.

Historical Context

• The concept of decolonial feminism was proposed by María Lugones, an Argentine scholar who identified as a woman of color, emphasizing intersectionality beyond mere skin color to include migration and socio-economic status.

• Lugones' work focused on gender, race, colonization, and Third World women's experiences in the U.S., laying foundational ideas for contemporary decolonial feminism.

The Emergence of Afrofeminism

Defining Afrofeminism

• The term "Afrofeminism" emerged in the late 1970s to 1980s as women began interconnecting their experiences related to sex, race, and gender oppression under colonial legacies. This movement sought to highlight racism within mainstream feminism that often overlooked Afro-descendant women's experiences.

Key Figures in Afrofeminism

• Notable figures include Leila González from Brazil and Seria Galván from the Dominican Republic who contributed significantly to addressing intersections between sex, race, class, etc., within anti-racist movements. Their efforts were pivotal in articulating these interconnected oppressions during this period.

Influences on Decolonial Feminist Thought

Intersectionality as a Core Concept

• Influenced by Black feminism in the United States, concepts such as "matrix of oppression" have been adopted into decolonial feminist discourse; these emphasize how different forms of oppression intersect rather than exist independently.

Knowledge Production Beyond Academia

• Emphasizing that lived experience serves as a vital source of knowledge—this perspective challenges traditional academic notions by asserting that personal narratives provide essential insights into broader societal issues faced globally.

Critique of Mainstream Feminism

Structural Violence Analysis

• Unlike mainstream white feminism which often focuses solely on domestic violence against women, Black feminists argue that violence is more structural—rooted deeply in racism and heterosexism—and should not be limited merely to gender-based analysis.

This structured approach provides clarity on key themes discussed throughout the transcript while allowing easy navigation through timestamps for further exploration or review.

Understanding Colonial Feminism and Community Resistance

The Intersection of Work, Family, and Oppression

• The discussion highlights the sexual, racial, and social division of labor, emphasizing that the nuclear family model was imposed through colonization. This model is critiqued for being a site of oppression for women.

• It contrasts the nuclear family with extended families in indigenous cultures, which serve as protective spaces against domination and oppression.

Spirituality and Knowledge in Feminist Movements

• The importance of spirituality rooted in Afrocentric traditions is emphasized as crucial for shaping identity and mobilizing communities. Music is noted as a significant source of knowledge and political articulation against various forms of oppression.

• A critique is made regarding the concept of sisterhood promoted by white feminists, pointing out that many exploit domestic workers from marginalized backgrounds while advocating for solidarity. This highlights a privilege often overlooked within feminist discourse.

Contributions from Indigenous Feminists

• Indigenous feminists contribute significantly to discussions on triple oppression based on race, ethnicity, class, and gender. They advocate for understanding women's identities within their community contexts rather than solely as individuals.

• The notion of community struggle against racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and invisibility faced by indigenous women is presented as essential to feminist movements today. Traditional practices like weaving are mentioned as ways to recover ancestral memory.

Historical Context and Territory

• The historical context reveals how colonial narratives shaped feminist histories; it critiques Eurocentric definitions of gender roles that did not exist in some indigenous cultures (e.g., Mayan beliefs). This challenges conventional understandings within feminism itself.

• The concept of territory is redefined beyond capitalist views; it’s seen as a social fabric where bodies represent both sites of violation and resistance against systemic injustices faced by women in these communities.

Autonomy Against Neoliberalism

• There’s an emphasis on exercising political autonomy away from state structures, NGOs, or academic institutions that impose external agendas on local movements—highlighting a need for grassroots activism rooted in local realities instead of global frameworks imposed from the North.

• Criticism extends to how many social movements have been institutionalized into NGOs leading to what’s termed “technocracy,” which undermines authentic grassroots activism by imposing global rights agendas without considering local contexts or needs.

This structured overview captures key themes discussed in the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference back to specific points made during the conversation.

Understanding Heterosexuality as a Political Regime

The Appropriation of Labor and Identity

• Discussion on social relations regarding who appropriates labor, particularly focusing on women and racialized men, highlighting the lack of compensation for their work.

• Introduction of the concept from French Materialist Feminism that views heterosexuality not merely as a sexual orientation but as a political regime influencing various social relationships.

Historical Context and Impact

• Examination of how the imposition of nuclear family structures during colonization enforced submissive roles for women in private spheres.

• Analysis of how heterosexuality has been historically installed to become a normative framework within society.

Key Concepts from Postcolonial Feminism

• Introduction to three critical concepts: epistemic violence, discursive colonialism, and strategic essentialism. These concepts help understand the dynamics of knowledge production and identity formation in postcolonial contexts.

• Emphasis on how theories from the Global North often fail to address the realities faced by women in the Global South, necessitating alternative frameworks.

Strategic Essentialism and Identity Politics

• Discussion on strategic essentialism proposed by scholars like Spivak, arguing that identities such as Black or Indigenous are politically significant rather than homogeneous.

• Acknowledgment that while these identities serve important functions today (e.g., combating racism), they may evolve or diminish in relevance as systems of oppression change.

Deconstructing Modernity and Coloniality

• Insights into poststructuralist feminism's view that identities are socially constructed rather than essential; thus, they should be deconstructed alongside oppressive systems.

• Highlighting discourse as a form of political practice where language carries intention and meaning beyond mere words.

Framework for Understanding Modernity

• Mention of key thinkers contributing to understanding modernity through lenses like coloniality, emphasizing diverse perspectives beyond Eurocentrism.

• Reference to influential theorists who have shaped discussions around modernity and coloniality, advocating for an analytical framework that recognizes multiple narratives.

This structured summary captures key insights from the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference.

Colonialism and Modernity: Understanding Coloniality

The Impact of Colonization on Global Structures

• Colonization marked the encounter between European colonizers and indigenous peoples, establishing Europe as the center of a new world order, influencing religion and economy.

• This led to the creation of America as a peripheral extension of Europe, resulting in modern colonial systems characterized by racial and social hierarchies, including racism, classism, and heterosexism.

Key Concepts in Coloniality

• Coloniality is described as the aftermath of colonialism; it reflects ongoing hierarchies related to race, class, and gender that persist today.

• Thinkers argue that coloniality represents the "dark side" of modernity—an aspect often overlooked by European elites but crucial for understanding its impact on human lives.

Dimensions of Colonial Power

• Aníbal Quijano's concept of "coloniality of power" focuses on social relations rooted in exploitation and domination within economic and political frameworks.

• The extractivist projects exemplify how these dynamics manifest today, echoing historical dispossession since 1492.

Knowledge Production Under Coloniality

• The "coloniality of knowledge" addresses epistemological biases favoring Northern knowledge systems while marginalizing local wisdom from Afro-Indigenous communities.

• Indigenous knowledge is often exploited without recognition; marginalized groups produce valuable theories yet remain unacknowledged in academic discourse.

Human Value and Gender Dynamics

• The "coloniality of being" questions humanity definitions imposed during colonization—whether indigenous or enslaved Africans were considered fully human to justify slavery.

• María Lugones introduces "coloniality of gender," critiquing Eurocentric feminist perspectives that impose narrow definitions onto women across different cultures.

Ongoing Effects and Internal Colonialism

• Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui challenges notions of post-colonialism by asserting that colonial relationships persist internally within nations today.

• While acknowledging internal colonialism exists alongside broader concepts like coloniality, it highlights enduring power structures established during initial colonization.

Understanding Feminism and Colonial Critique

The Context of Oppression and Resistance

• Many communities face oppression due to a combination of capitalism, racism, heterosexism, and classism. However, there is significant resistance that emerges from these struggles.

Critiques of Eurocentric Development Models

• A primary critique involves the Eurocentric and anthropocentric notions of development that ignore the realities faced by colonized peoples. This perspective often misrepresents colonial encounters as cultural exchanges rather than genocides.

Misconceptions about Patriarchy

• The feminist narrative often assumes a universal patriarchy that portrays all women as victims and all men as enemies. This oversimplification neglects the complexities of gender relations in various contexts.

Gender Roles in Diverse Communities

• While many men exhibit machismo, some actively participate in domestic work, especially within Afro-Indigenous communities. Women's roles extend beyond domestic spheres into broader societal contributions.

Intersectionality in Feminist Discourse

• The concept of a universal sex-gender system fails to account for intersections of race, class, sexuality, and specific contexts. White feminism often overlooks these nuances by framing all women solely as victims.

Alternative Genealogies of Struggle

• There is a need to create alternative genealogies that reflect the histories and struggles of marginalized groups outside Euro-American narratives. This includes recognizing local theories that explain their realities.

Fragmentation of Social Movements

• Coloniality has led to fragmented social movements where different groups (women, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants) fight separately rather than uniting against common oppressions.

Collective Liberation Efforts

• It’s essential for feminist movements to consider alliances with other marginalized groups to form a collective front against racism, violence towards women, neoliberal policies, and militarism.

Critique of Liberal Democracy

• The progress made in women's rights often benefits only select individuals while failing to dismantle systemic oppressions inherent in liberal democracy which recognizes but does not eliminate inequalities.

Dependency on Northern Theories

• There is criticism regarding reliance on Northern theories for political proposals; local concepts are vital for understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by Latin American societies.

Historical Context of International Cooperation

• International cooperation efforts are critiqued for being patronizing; they should focus on reparations owed since colonial times rather than superficial assistance based on historical exploitation.

Questioning National State Structures

• The national state model is viewed as an inherited European construct unsuitable for enacting meaningful social change in Latin America; it requires critical examination within its historical context.

Understanding Colonialism and Its Impacts

The Persistence of Racism and Neoliberal Policies

• The discussion highlights how racism, sexism, and heterosexism are maintained within multicultural frameworks, emphasizing that recognizing Afro and Indigenous cultures does not eliminate racism or neoliberal policies.

Critique of Eurocentric Historical Narratives

• There is a critique of the hegemonic history that portrays national histories as built around white heroes, neglecting the contributions of the broader populace.

Reinterpreting History and Memory

• A call to construct alternative histories that acknowledge colonization as an act of genocide rather than a cultural encounter, challenging dominant narratives about discovery.

Challenging Racial Determinism

• The speaker argues against racial determinism, which suggests inherent traits based on race or gender. This perspective needs to be actively critiqued in both material conditions and ideological discourses.

Intersectionality in Feminist Movements

• Proposes a revision of hegemonic feminism that often centers class while ignoring other forms of oppression like racism and violence against women. It emphasizes the need for an intersectional approach to combat these issues collectively.

Collective Action Against Oppression

Interconnectedness of Oppressions

• Emphasizes that struggles against capitalism must also address racism, gender-based violence, and heterosexist logics; these oppressions are interconnected since their roots trace back to colonization.

Political Practice as Thought Production

• Advocates for a feminist decolonial approach that merges political practice with theoretical thought. Both should be developed collaboratively within communities rather than separately.

Community-Centric Approaches

• Stresses the importance of community involvement in political action. Autonomy and self-management are crucial for effective political engagement across various identities beyond mere labels.

Cultural Resistance Through Art

Reviving Collective Practices

• Calls for reclaiming communal practices as alternatives to individualistic neoliberal capitalism. This includes exploring food sovereignty and relational ontologies where nature holds equal importance alongside humanity.

Limitations Within Institutional Frameworks

• Notes that transformative actions do not occur solely within institutional settings like universities but require collective political action outside traditional academic structures.

The Role of Art in Social Change

Personal Experience with Music

• The speaker shares her background as a singer-songwriter from the Dominican Republic, highlighting how she integrated themes of oppression into her music even before fully articulating them with contemporary language.

This structured summary captures key insights from the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference.

Awareness of Injustices and Activism Through Art

Context of Migration and Conflict

• The speaker reflects on their awareness of injustices both in their home country and globally, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these issues.

• They arrived in Colombia in 2005, a country marked by significant armed conflict, highlighting the duality of creativity and severe societal problems present there.

Founding Batucada La Tremenda Revoltosa

• The speaker founded "La Tremenda Revoltosa," a feminist batucada aimed at using drums to express activism through creative means.

• This initiative focuses on addressing various forms of oppression such as racism, heterosexism, classism, militarism, and violence that disproportionately affect marginalized groups.

Collective Artistic Expression

• The approach taken is collective rather than individualistic, aiming to articulate art as a form of political action against systemic oppression.

• They emphasize the importance of decolonial feminist schools being established in the Dominican Republic and other locations to foster liberation through art.

Methodology and Community Engagement

• The project employs diverse artistic mediums—such as theater, music, video, painting—to engage youth from cimarron communities who have resisted colonial systems since 1492.

• A key goal is for individuals to recognize their identity within these communities while reclaiming dignity associated with their heritage.

Building Connections Between Cultures

• The initiative also aims to bridge cultural divides between Haiti and the Dominican Republic by fostering unity among these historically connected peoples.

• Emphasis is placed on connecting emotions, stories, dreams with ancestral knowledge that has been vital for community resilience.

Pedagogical Practices Against Colonial Narratives

• The focus shifts away from traditional writing towards embodied creation processes that challenge colonial aesthetics.

• Proposals include creating anti-colonial discourses rooted in specific geopolitical contexts like Ayala (the Caribbean), promoting collective memory construction outside imposed narratives.