Devonya N. Havis, "Creating a Black Vernacular Philosophy" (Lexington Books, 2022)

Summary

What can philosophy do? By taking up Black American cultural practices, Devonya N. Havis suggests that academic philosophy has been too narrow in its considerations of this question, supporting domination and oppression. 

In Creating a Black Vernacular Philosophy (Lexington Books, 2022), Havis brings our focus to theoretically rich practices of African diasporic communities. Offering critical insight into how philosophy has been narrowed, Havis also offers a guide to interpreting the world otherwise, engaging stories, novels, the blues, jazz, work songs, naming and self-naming, and more. Havis does Black Vernacular Philosophy in conversation with other doers as she shows us the urgent need for such work.

Your Host

Sarah Tyson

Sarah Tyson is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Denver.

View Profile