![]() ![]() The text Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom has been foundational in my approach to work on campus, in the community, and, most importantly, in my discovery of myself. Meanwhile, I continued to internalize feelings of inferiority and deviancy. At every turn within my professional and personal life, I was looking for validation, affirmation, and a reflection of myself. These searches led me astray until I realized I needed to reconcile all parts of me and seek spaces that welcomed all aspects of who I am. ![]() I believed I was the problem for too long: I searched for answers, attended self-help workshops, and unknowingly bought into assimilation. Turning toward a scholarly lens, my work offers an alternative approach to doing/thinking about research that relies on Black Feminist traditions and utilizes an affective stance of feeling or being different.Īs a Black queer, gender nonconforming woman who works within a site known for the ability to transform lives as well as the potential to harm those who do not conform, I became devoted to researching and affirming those relegated to the margins and documenting their experiences. Although I could not always name or define the feeling, I always knew and felt my difference. I have worked in higher education for many years and over 18 years within units focused on diversity. Before I could love myself, I needed to see myself, to see those who reflected expansive representations of Black, sexual, and gender identities. What bell hooks taught me was that I needed to love myself. This essay is part of our online special issue honoring bell hooks ![]()
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