Abstract
Sylvia Wynter calls for a rethinking of the aesthetics since our current system of knowledge, which is rooted in a positivist, biocentric framework, fails to recognize storytelling as an essential aspect of humanness. Similarly, bell hooks reminds us to see, not only through sight, but in a metaphysical way that heightens our awareness and understanding – expanding our ability to engage with reality through all of our senses. Thus, this paper explores the ways in which Black aesthetics serve as method-making practices in order to reclaim the imagination from modern thinking, particularly given that the narrative of modernity has been partially constructed on the myth that Black peoples lack culture, or, alternatively, that their cultural practices are primitive and monolithic. By asserting Blackness as a situating force, Black cultural practices underscore the agentic capacity of Black peoples to create and define their own realities, rather than being merely subjects of observation. What methods do we use, then, that can faithfully portray the subtleties of Black life?
Published Version
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