Decolonize This
Image credit: Shana Sippy
Migration to new, ever more distant lands is a recurring theme in human development. Our expansion was once necessitated by social and ecological dynamics driving exploration of the beyond. Under the “doctrine of discovery” developed in the late fifteenth century, European explorers were authorized by the Catholic Church to take possession of lands, riches, people (and souls), even though the lands were hardly empty. The doctrine is sometimes credited with causing, or at least reflecting, a fundamental shift from migration for survival to a rapacious economic campaign for appropriation. In its wake came the genocide of countless Indigenous communities, theft of land and property, chattel slavery, perpetuation of patriarchy, and the centuries-long subjugation of minorities. In the modern era, colonialism remains intact where structures promote a dominant cultural ideal that aims to oppress, marginalize, or even eradicate human rights.
Decolonization requires three things: recognition, neutralization, and restoration. First, we must closely examine and formally recognize the ways in which structures continue to disenfranchise minorities as a legacy of colonialism. Once identified, each threat to individual well-being must be neutralized to prevent further harm. Finally, injuries must be repaired so that the once-violated trust between human communities can be rebuilt.
#DecolonizeThis is a multidisciplinary exploration of the ways in which we are actively dismantling the legacy of colonialism. We present this issue in a slow roll-out format in order to mirror the ongoing and continuous nature of decolonizing struggles.
These images depict the sequence of events leading to the removal of a 111-year old Confederate statue in Danville, KY. They illustrate how decolonization requires three things: recognition, neutralization, and restoration. Image credits (left to right): #1-Anonymous, #2-Shana Sippy, #3-a Centre College student, and #4-Pearl Morttey.
#Decolonization
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