Explorations in Personal Power and Paradox with Minna Salami

Andrea Hiott in conversation with Minna Salami. Minna 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 is a leading voice of contemporary feminism, she has drawn over a million readers to her multiple award-winning blog MsAfropolitan.com.

In this episode, Andrea and Mina Salami enter the wonderful winding roads of Minna’s influential book, Sensuous Knowledge. Discussing themes from her book, such as multi-perspectival thinking, paradox, and different ways of understanding power, Mina shares how she integrates various disciplines and explores knowledge beyond a binary viewpoint. The conversation navigates into the relationship between love, meditation, and sensuous knowledge, and revisits Minna's personal journey across different cultures and identities. This enriching dialogue is a must-watch for anyone interested in expanding their understanding of epistemology and embracing more holistic, embodied ways of knowing that open beyond polarities.

https://msafropolitan.com/

00:00 Introduction to Mina Salami and Her Work

01:21 Understanding Paradox in Modern Society

03:37 Exploring Sensuous Knowledge

04:44 The Distinction Between Sensuous and Sensual

31:24 The Concept of Double Consciousness

44:33 Meditation and Sensuous Knowledge

50:25 The Divine Nature of Poetry

51:41 Childhood Experiences with Automatic Writing

53:27 Struggles and Spiritual Interpretations

55:05 Discovering Automatic Writing and Meditation

01:00:02 The Concept of Power and Its Misinterpretations

01:01:44 The Mountain Metaphor and Diverse Perspectives

01:06:27 Language, Double Consciousness, and Feminism

01:11:15 Reimagining Power and Sensuous Knowledge

01:32:50 The Role of Love in Knowledge and Existence

Join the Substack here: https://lovephilosophy.substack.com/

Philosophical writings here: https://communityphilosophy.substack.com/

Du Bois and Double Consciousness: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/double-consciousness/

Minna's 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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minna_Salami

#perspectival #sensuous #knowledgeispower #loveandphilosophy #holdtheparadox

❣️These articles and podcasts in all forms are informational only and not meant as professional guidance or advice❣️