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, who used to be known as Kathryn T. Gines (born on July 2, 1978), is an American philosopher. She is a professor of philosophy at Pennsylvania State University. A lot of her work focuses on making philosophy more diverse. She also started the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers.
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Her Education and Career Path
Kathryn Belle studied philosophy at Spelman College. She then earned her master's degree and a doctorate (PhD) in philosophy from the University of Memphis. She finished these degrees in 2001 and 2003.
Belle has been working at Pennsylvania State University since 2008. Before joining Penn State, she was a professor at Vanderbilt University. There, she taught about Africana and diaspora studies, and also in the philosophy department.
Starting the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers
In 2007, Belle created the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers. She wanted to build a supportive community for Black women philosophers. 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. The Collegium now holds a yearly conference. About 30 Black women professors and students attend. They offer workshops to help with career development and other topics.
A philosopher named Lucius Outlaw wrote in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy that Belle's work with the Collegium was very important. It helped to advance the field of Africana philosophy.
Her Research and Books
Belle has written one book called Hannah Arendt and the Negro Question. She also helped to edit a collection of writings called Convergences: Black Feminism and Continental Philosophy.
She has published many articles in academic journals. These include Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy and the Journal of Social Philosophy. She also helped start Critical Philosophy of Race. This journal is published by Penn State University Press. It looks at important issues about the idea of race.
Main Areas of Her Work
Belle is most interested in 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 types of unfairness connect.
She has written a lot about the work of Hannah Arendt. Belle believes that Arendt did not see that the "Negro question" was really a "white problem." She also argued that Arendt's strict ideas about social and political life stopped her from seeing racism as a political issue.
Belle believes that a unique Black, female identity must be recognized. This is important to overcome linked systems of oppression. She argues that keeping a strong and positive racial identity can be very empowering.
In one of her essays, Belle writes that continental philosophy is missing something important. She says it needs Black feminist thought. Without it, this type of philosophy cannot fully understand how different systems of unfairness connect. It also cannot understand how they shape our experiences.
See also
In Spanish: Kathryn Sophia Belle for kids
