Kathryn Sophia Belle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathryn Sophia Belle, formerly Kathryn T. Gines
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Belle speaking at the University of San Francisco, February 21, 2014
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| Born | 2 July 1978 |
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| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| School | Continental philosophy Africana philosophy |
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Main interests
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Diaspora studies, Africana philosophy, continental philosophy, black feminist philosophy, critical philosophy of race |
Kathryn Sophia Belle, also known as Kathryn T. Gines, was born on July 2, 1978. She is an American philosopher and a professor at Pennsylvania State University. A lot of her work focuses on making the field of philosophy more diverse. She is also the person who started the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers.
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Learning and Career
Kathryn Belle studied philosophy at Spelman College. She then earned her master's degree and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in philosophy from the University of Memphis in 2001 and 2003.
She has been a professor at Pennsylvania State University since 2008. Before that, she taught at Vanderbilt University. There, she was an assistant professor of Africana and diaspora studies, which also included philosophy.
The Collegium of Black Women Philosophers
In 2007, Kathryn Belle started the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers. She wanted to create a supportive place for Black women who study philosophy. She also wanted to find out how many Black women were working as philosophy professors.
When she started the Collegium, she could only find 29 Black women who were philosophy professors in the United States. At that time, the American Philosophical Association had over 11,000 members. Today, the Collegium's yearly conference brings together about thirty Black women professors and students of philosophy. They offer workshops to help with career development and other useful sessions.
Lucius Outlaw, a writer for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, said that Belle's work in starting the Collegium was very important. It helped to advance the field of Africana philosophy, which explores philosophical ideas from African and African-American perspectives.
Research and Writings
Kathryn Belle has written one book called Hannah Arendt and the Negro Question. She also helped edit a collection of essays titled Convergences: Black Feminism and Continental Philosophy. She has written many articles for academic journals. These include Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy and Journal of Social Philosophy.
She is also a co-editor of Critical Philosophy of Race. This is a journal published by the Penn State University Press. It looks at important topics related to the idea of race.
Main Areas of Study
Belle's main interests include Africana philosophy and continental philosophy. She also studies black feminist philosophy and critical philosophy of race. Much of her research looks at race, racism, feminism, and how different forms of unfairness connect.
She has written a lot about the work of Hannah Arendt, a famous philosopher. Belle believes that Arendt did not fully understand that the "Negro question" was actually a "white problem." She also argued that Arendt's strict ideas about society and politics stopped her from seeing racism as a political issue, not just a social one.
Identity and Philosophy
Belle believes that it is important to recognize a unique Black female identity. She argues that this is necessary to overcome linked systems of oppression. She also thinks that keeping a strong and positive racial identity can be a powerful act.
In one of her essays, Belle discusses how Black feminist thought is missing from continental philosophy. She argues that this absence creates a gap. It prevents this type of philosophy from fully understanding how different systems of unfairness connect and shape our experiences.
See also
In Spanish: Kathryn Sophia Belle para niños
