Sensuous Knowledge - A Conversation with Minna Salami

This strange thing called ‘knowledge’ has always been a
battleground in educational conversations - for example, in lots
of loud calls for “knowledge-rich” curricula! Personally I’m very
much in favour of knowledge and knowing, part of the buzz of
following curiosity and inquiries! It’s just the KIND of
knowledge and knowing that we have been conditioned to value over
others that I have an issue with!


Minna Salami has been deeply challenging this hierarchy of
knowing through her extensive work and amazing concept and book
of the same title, Sensuous Knowledge. Her work coming from the
tradition of African Feminism is to trouble the hierarchies, not
simply invert them.


Minna Salami is a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish feminist author,
social critic and currently Program Chair at THE NEW
INSTITUTE.


She is the author of Can Feminism Be African? (forthcoming Harper
Collins) and Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach
for Everyone (Bloomsbury 2020) which has been translated
into multiple languages. 


Minna has also co-authored children’s books and written content
on feminism for numerous anthologies as well as educational
textbooks.


A leading voice of contemporary feminism, she has drawn over a
million readers to her multiple award-winning blog
MsAfropolitan.com. Her writing can be found in the Guardian,
Project Syndicate, Al Jazeera, and The Philosopher, and many
others. She is a frequent speaker and lecturer including at some
of the world’s most prominent institutions such as the UN, EU,
Oxford Union, Cambridge Union, Yale University, and the
Singularity University at NASA. She has worked as a Research
Associate and Editor at Perspectiva,
consulted governments on gender equality, written school
curricula, and curated cultural events at The Victoria &
Albert Museum in London.


Minna is a Full Member of the Club of Rome, a BMW
Foundation Responsible Leader and sits on the council
of The Royal Institute of Philosophy and the boards
of The African Feminist Initiative at Pennsylvania
State University, The Interdisciplinary Journal for the
Study of the Sahel, and is an associate with Perspectiva.
She has served as chair for the House of Beautiful Business,
a judge for the One World Media Awards, a nominator for
the Prince Claus Foundation and the Princess of
Asturias Foundation.


An alumni of Lund University and SOAS University, Minna has lived
in Nigeria, Sweden, Spain, and New York and now lives between
London and Hamburg.


Social Links:


Minna's blog: https://msafropolitan.com/


Linkedin: @minnasalami - https://www.linkedin.com/in/minnasalami/


Instagram: @minnasalami_ https://www.instagram.com/minnasalami_/