Unpacking African epistemological violence: toward critical Africanness in communication studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article theorizes African perspectives by unpacking some of the neocolonial dynamics that characterize much of communication studies and its knowledge production in, of, with, and for Africa. I propose a decolonizing framework, critical Africanness, to read and locate African thought, which requires a political ethic and practice of resistance and intentional undoing by unlearning and dismantling unjust practices, assumptions, and institutions. I propose four modes of critical Africanness: Afro-Epistemilibre, Afrorelationality, Afrosubjectivity, and Afrotransnationality. I conclude by reflecting on the future of critical Africanness and the politics of research of Africanness in communication studies.