Bio:

Thomas’s research focuses on bridging the gaps between epistemic, ethical, and political sphere through an argument for the integration of ethical and political frameworks into social epistemology. During their time at URI they will be assisting with the organization of the Mellon event series GWS will be hosting as well as a manuscript on the concept of care as a central component of Black American feminist political theory. Other projects include an analysis of epistemic erasure and appropriation of Black feminist thought. This project responds to the current challenge Black feminists face with the decontextualization and misapplication of Black feminist theory in issues of social justice and decolonization. They have published research towards this project in a peer-reviewed article, “Intersectionality and Epistemic Erasure: A Caution to Decolonial Feminism,” in Hypatia. Next, they to publish two articles that will use this research to advance the role of Black feminist theory in our understandings of social ethics, theories of social justice, and decoloniality.

In sum, Thomas’s work develops radical Black feminist approaches to understanding epistemological, political, and ethical aspects of structural oppression and the lived experiences of marginalized people.

Dr. Thomas is also the founder and director of the annual Roundtable for Black Feminist and Womanist Theory.

For more information on Dr.Thomas, please see here.

Abstract:

This talk critically examines the surface-level engagement with 20th-century Black American feminist thought in contemporary scholarship, where many foundational texts and scholars are frequently cited but not fully engaged. I argue that such superficial treatment overlooks the intricate complexities and profound contributions made by Black feminist theorists to the long struggle for justice in the United States. By merely citing these works, scholars risk truncating and misappropriating the intellectual legacy of Black feminist thinkers. To address this issue, I introduce a method I call “returning to the archive,” which aims to recover and reintegrate overlooked or “shelved” Black feminist scholarship. This approach confronts the systematic silencing and marginalization of Black feminist voices and offers a way to engage deeply with the rich and layered theoretical contributions that have shaped contemporary feminist thought. The talk will highlight specific examples of Black feminist works that have been shelved and propose strategies for their re-engagement in today’s academic and activist circles.