Afrofuturism | The Harriet Tubman Institute

Mosa McNeilly

rebsl — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:43:09 +0000

Mosa is a Canadian born, second-year Ph.D. student of African, Caribbean, and European descent in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at 91��ɫ. She has a background in interdisciplinary arts practice, arts education, anti-racism consultancy, and Black wellness advocacy. Her research examines how Middle Passage memory functions in the present and contributes to Afrofuturist imaginings of Black freedom. Working through a research-creation methodology, she brings visual art, performance, and spiritual practice into conversation with more conventional forms of academic research. Drawing from Orishá and Vodun cosmologies, she explores how intersections between the figure of the Clown and African and Caribbean trickster figures can generate new understanding of Black diasporic life. Thinking through a Black feminist theoretical framework, she reimagines the Clown as a Black female subject seeking to understand what it means to be human in the afterlife of slavery.

Keywords: Black studies, Black feminist thought, Middle Passage memory, Trickster pedagogies, Afropessimism, Afrofuturism, Surrealism, Autopoiesis, Orishá

Amanda Nkeramihigo

rebsl — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:43:33 +0000

Amanda Nkeramihigo is a scholar and theorist whose work bridges historical and critical psychology, Afrofuturism, and decolonial frameworks to explore Black subjectivity, epistemic justice, and liberation. She will be continuing at the PhD level at 91��ɫ, in the Historical, Theoretical, and Critical Studies in Psychology in the summer of 2026. Amanda’s research interrogates the colonial coordinates of space, time, and narrative in psychology, while developing speculative, Afrofuturist methodologies that problematizes Psychology’s engagement with Black psychological life, and reconfigures this relationship through the Black gaze and Black radical thoughts and imaginaries.

Amanda is the co-founder of the Black Students Mentorship Program in the Faculty of Health and has contributed to initiatives such as the first Work-Integrated Learning course for Black students in Psychology at 91��ɫ. Her publications include a sole-authored article in Theory & Psychology (2025), a co-authored Oxford Bibliography entry on Mamie Phipps Clark, and a review in the Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. She has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch (2023) by CIBWE and is a recipient of the Fancher-Bakan-Danziger Award for Excellence in Historical, Theoretical, and Critical Studies of Psychology (2024). Born in East Africa and fluent in English and French, Amanda brings a transnational perspective to her work, and has presented at national conferences and engages in public scholarship to advance onto-epistemic justice and Black liberation.

Keywords: Afrodiaspora, Afrofuturism, Critical studies in Psychology, Black subjectivity

Bashir Munye

rebsl — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 19:43:28 +0000

Chef Bashir Munye is a Somali-born, Italian-raised culinary educator, food advocate, and co-founder of the African Food Study Centre. With over 25 years of experience, he is committed to decolonizing culinary practices and promoting food sovereignty.

Bashir has served as a culinary professor at George Brown College, where he designed inclusive curricula and mentored future culinary leaders. As a community advisor, he played a pivotal role in the development of the Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Plan, approved by City Council in 2021, addressing systemic barriers to food security for Black communities.

Through his work at Black Creek Community Farm, Bashir developed sustainable food initiatives that merged cultural relevance with economic viability, strengthening community engagement. His efforts emphasize culturally appropriate foods, equitable systems, and the celebration of African culinary traditions.

Bashir’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with the Harriet Tubman Institute’s mission to advance research on African and diasporic histories, fostering a deeper understanding of social justice issues. His advocacy for food justice and sustainability continues to inspire systemic change, making him a leader in advancing inclusive culinary practices and community empowerment.

Keywords: Afrofuturism, Decolonization, Culinary Education, Food Sovereignty, African Foodways, Sustainability, Diaspora Studies, Culturally Appropriate Foods, Social Justice, Ancestral Knowledge, Community Engagement, Anti-Colonial Practices, Food Systems Equity, Interdisciplinary Research, Performative Learning

Sylvia Bawa

rebsl — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 21:50:57 +0000

Dr. Sylvia Bawa is an Associate Professor of Sociology at 91��ɫ. She is a global sociologist with expertise in human rights, globalization, critical development, and postcolonial feminisms. She is interested in the mobilizing impact of human rights, specifically how discourses of rights, self-determination, and development evolve and are shaped by global events, new technologies, and Afrofuturism. She has received multiple research grants and awards for her work, including from SSHRC, CHIR, and 91��ɫ, leading transnational collaborative research projects. Some of her publications appear in high-impact journals, including Third World Quarterly, African Identities, Qualitative Report, Development in Practice, the Canadian Journal of African Studies, the International Journal of Human Rights of Women. Her recently co-authored book, "Truth Commissions and State Building" (McGill-Queen’s, 2023), was selected as a runner-up for the best book anthology on African Studies by the African Studies Association. Dr. Bawa is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences in Canada and serves as editor for two interdisciplinary journals: Studies in Social Justice and the Contemporary Journal of African Studies. Importantly, she is a passionate foodie and avid sci-fi enthusiast, currently exploring research on the nexus of Afrofuturism, AI, and human rights.

Keywords: Human Rights, Afrofuturism, Critical Development, Postcolonial, Gender