Interview with Professor Kathryn T. Gines

Abstract

"As I get ready for my sabbatical (2016-2017) and the next stage of my life and career, I am relaxing, letting go, and choosing what really sparks joy and fulfillment (e.g. Audre Lorde's notion of the erotic as power) in all aspects of my life. I am connecting to peace and power from within, having the courage to boldly embrace, prioritize, and do the things I really want to do (casting off other people's expectations of what they think I "ought" to do In addition to my work as a philosophy professor, I have been very intentional about applying my philosophical training to my work as a professional coach and registered yoga teacher (with an elective specialization in yoga therapy). I bring both philosophy and yoga to coaching academics and other professionals in the areas of work, life, wellness, balance, and bliss." -- Kathryn T. Gines

"There are many philosophy departments in the US that have no interest or intention of ever engaging or taking seriously Africana Philosophy. In these spaces it is difficult to be a part of the epistemological framework of philosophy. But there are increasingly more spaces in which Africana Philosophy is taught and taken seriously. It is important to support and continue to cultivate the spaces where this is happening." -- Kathryn T. Gines

"The legacy of Africana Philosophy is preserved both inside and outside of the Academy through the courses that we teach, the syllabi we construct, our publications, the conferences that we organize, the students that we teach, and increasingly it is constructed and preserved in digital spaces (like websites, podcasts, youtube, etc.)." -- Kathryn T. Gines

"We are all African American living in a post-Obama backlash reminiscent of post-reconstruction backlash. The philosophical ideas and transformatory change that I instill in my children focuses on cultivating a positive self-identity and strong sense of community despite the ongoing devaluation of Black lives for boys and girls, men and women. We talk about self-definition beyond negative stereotypes, living life to the fullest, staying connected to a sense of greatness within and beyond ourselves, ontological freedom despite political oppression, radical acceptance, compassion, loving blackness as political resistance. More than anything, we constantly communicate our love and support for one another and the importance of seeing the powerful possibilities, even in the midst of overwhelming challenges." -- Kathryn T. Gines