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Invisible in Plain Sight During a recent visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, I encountered a small display acknowledging the Museum’s links to its colonial past. It reminded me of the deep ties between anthropology and colonialism—a discipline that, from its origins in the 19th century, played a role in justifying racial hierarchies. Early anthropologists often portrayed non-Western cultures through the lens of European superiority, reinforcing harmful narratives about “primitiveness” and racial inferiority. Among the museum's exhibits is a photograph of the first three Diploma in Anthropology students. One woman, Barbara Freire-Marreco, is highlighted for being the first woman to complete the course—a significant achievement. Yet, the name and contributions of James Arthur Harley, the first Black man to earn the Diploma in 1909, are nowhere to be found. Why does this matter? Harley was an extraordinary Antiguan scholar. Before arriving in England to study theology at Jesus College, Oxford, he had already earned a law degree from Howard University, spent a year at Yale, and earned another degree from Harvard in Semitic Languages. Yet, despite his incredible academic accomplishments, he pursued a curriculum steeped in the racist ideologies of the time—one that diminished Black intellectual capacity and perpetuated stereotypes. Harley’s story is a powerful example of what I refer to as invisible in plain sight—present in the historical record but marginalized and unacknowledged. Like many others, his legacy is part of why this year’s Black History Month theme, Reclaiming Narratives, is so vital. To learn more about James Arthur Harley, join the Black Oxford Untold Stories Guided Bus Tour, attend one of my speaking events, or dive deeper by reading my book, The Adventures of a Black Edwardian Intellectual: The Story of James Arthur Harley. Discover Harley’s incredible journey and help reclaim the narrative. Buy the book here: The Adventures of a Black Edwardian Intellectual #ReclaimingNarratives #BlackHistoryMonth20204 #JamesArthurHarley #UntoldStories #BlackExcellence #HiddenFigures #AnthropologyAndColonialism #BlackIntellectuals #BlackOxfordUntold Stories  

I am truly surprised, honored, and touched to learn I am included in this book! “Autumn brings years of national and global research to the table and a Master of Science degree in Applied Anthropology…Her specialization is Socio-Cultural Anthropology, with an emphasis in intersections of race, ethnicity, and space…Autumn blew us away with astute insights…” Please understand that when I became a market researcher one of the initial market research books I read and studied back in the 1990s was Pepper Miller's "What’s Black About It?" And the very first time I found myself in a video conference meeting with Pepper, I felt like I was meeting a goddess. So, to find out I am included in her latest book is absolutely mind blowing. In her newest publication Pepper sets aside a section to declare “Market Research Needs (More) Black Anthropologists.” In that portion she defines anthropology’s two subfields of greatest relevance for market research and actually shares verbatims of cross-disciplinary perspective I offered not too long ago. Thank you, Pepper, for consistently elevating Black voices and contributing to the canon of essential texts in market research. Studying your work 26 years ago permanently changed the trajectory of my research and my career. You are forever a goddess to me, and I am sincerely grateful to be included in your latest contribution to the workings, understanding, and direction of our market research industry. Thank you, Pepper, for bravely calling attention to the need for Black constituent inclusion in research, boldly asserting the importance of Black market researchers for market success, and shining a light on the need for more Black anthropologists in market research! #insights #marketresearch #mrx #anthropology #Blackhistorymonth #Blackvoices

NEW RELEASE ✨️Unboxing✨️ I cannot wait to hear your thoughts. Available at your favorite bookseller. A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse A2 is a qualitative inquiry that pushes the bounds of multidisciplinary scholarship through poetics, prose, and academic discourse. Though fairly new, poetic inquiry as a research method has been found in “social science disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, nursing, social work, geography, women’s/feminist studies and education,” (Prendergast, 2009, p. 545). Harnessing this methodology, Dr. Ayo Sekai ventures to push the limits of academic scholarship by interrogating poetic discourse to address stigmas, norms and psycho-cultural perceptions weaponized against Black people through language. Recognizing the usage of language in oppressive systems, A2 takes readers on an intellectual journey that harnesses the Black experience through poetically informed research, blending the socio-cultural lens of the spoken word. With a foundation of political science, and Sekai’s unique voice in the field of Linguistic Imperialism, this text provides eye-opening perspectives through its titular scholarly poetical science discourse. https://lnkd.in/eRv9ZSad

Sharing a supporting article on Coorg's history: https://lnkd.in/dbJ6tTJz

How do representations of marginalized bodies challenge dominant narratives in history? What new realities are revealed about the absence and agency of Black Africans by a more global approach to the 14–17th centuries? The international conference Hidden in Plain Sight, co-hosted by the NIKI and NYU-Florence, will explore a range of interrelated themes, drawing from art history, anthropology, African studies, history, musicology, and other fields. By critically re-examining histories of colonialism and slavery, the event seeks to reshape our understanding of disciplinary boundaries and spark new scholarly debates. Both in-person and virtual attendance will be available! Read more → bit.ly/niki-nyu #HiddenInPlainSight #ArtHistory #BlackHistory #Colonialism #RenaissanceArt #GlobalArtHistory #AfricanStudies #CulturalRepresentation #NYUFlorence #NIKIFlorence #MarginalizedVoices #HistoricalNarratives #InterdisciplinaryStudies

We are very proud to announce the publication of our new book, released by Lived Places Publishing today! In it we explore what in our uniquely different pasts enabled us to build a friendship, honestly explore our family histories, and reckon with our own life paths, which diverged and dovetailed (from Japan to Iraq to Santa Barbara to Silicon Valley, and from protesting a war to fighting in one), to ultimately lead us back to one another in Savannah, Georgia. While we hope this is also a page turning, trade-worthy memoir ;-), Lived Places Publishing is honorably dedicated to publishing unique lived experiences of real people for university coursework and instruction. The book includes a study guide and is geared toward educators and scholars of Black Studies, History, Civil Rights, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, History, and Politics. We know every single one of you who have been following our journey are such a scholar, and some of you are also teachers who might use the book in your classroom. We are proud to say that it will be distributed to students by the Spelman Social Justice Program, the UCSB Black Studies department, and many other institutions to come. Scholar, instructor, or both, we would be honored to have you purchase a copy of our book! Yes, it costs more from the publisher, but we want to support scholarly publications, and a portion of the proceeds will be funneled back into The Reparations Project. (And yes, you can also find it on Amazon.) #LivedExperiences #HigherEducation #CourseReading #University #BlackStudies

Anthropology students are going beyond the classroom and diving into the vibrant world of Black tech entrepreneurship. Using ethnographic research and cultural insights, these future anthropologists will contribute to solving real-world challenges — not just in Detroit, but across industries. ➡️ go.wayne.edu/black-tech-ln

📢 Exciting Discovery Alert! "Knossos Uncovered: A New Chapter in Crete's History" unveils groundbreaking archaeological finds in Crete. This is a must-watch for professionals in history, archaeology, and cultural studies. 📜🏺 🔗 Dive into the full video here: https://lnkd.in/dpK-uBcT #Knossos #History #Archaeology #CulturalHeritage #ProfessionalDiscovery #EducationalContent Let's discuss the implications of these findings!

Since, I have been in an archaeology/anthropology PhD program and beginning to understand anthropology and specifically linguistics. My anthropologist antenna twitch when I see buzzwords in the media. I find it interesting how certain segments of society try to characterize the consequences of one’s own actions as being cancelled. The language used in media is so powerful and has intentionality that goes well beyond a surficial reading of the news. Cancel culture is one of those buzzwords (Also: Liberal media, rioters, activists, and thugs). When you hear these types of words observe who is being targeted by these words. Also, examine the governmental and media responses to events that get described with the buzzwords or words that elicit social responses. For example check out the governmental, political, and media responses/reactions to Charlottesville and Ferguson to understand the differences and impact of words. https://lnkd.in/g2MYfMAN

This absolutely gorgeous book is now available: The Philosophy of Movement by Thomas Nail. Why are city dwellers worldwide walking on average ten percent faster than they were a decade ago? Why are newcomer immigrant groups so often maligned when migration has always constituted civilization? To analyze and understand the depth of the reasons, Thomas Nail suggests that it serves us well to turn to a philosophy of movement. Synthesizing and extending many years of his influential work, The Philosophy of Movement is a comprehensive argument for how motion is the primary force in human and natural history. With a foreword by philosopher Daniel W. Smith, The Philosophy of Movement: An Introduction is a must-read for scholars and students not only of philosophy but also history, anthropology, science and technology studies, mobility studies, and other fields across the humanities and social sciences. #philosophy #NewBook