Sylvia Wynter

This collection critically examines the work of a prominent Jamaican theorist, exploring race and the essence of humanity as articulated in Sylvia Wynter.

The Jamaican writer and cultural theorist Sylvia Wynter is renowned for her wide-ranging works that synthesize insights from various fields, including history, literature, science, and black studies. In Sylvia Wynter, she delves into complex themes such as race, the enduring impacts of colonialism, and the multifaceted representations of what it means to be human. This critical examination offers a genealogy of Wynter’s thought, shedding light on how factors like race, geographic location, and historical context shape our understanding of humanity.

Contributors to Sylvia Wynter engage deeply with Wynter’s transformative ideas, particularly her reconceptualization of the human experience through the lens of blackness, modernity, and urban environments. The collection also addresses themes pertinent to the Caribbean, science studies, migratory politics, and the dynamic interplay between creative expression and theoretical resistance. Each essay contributes to a broader understanding of how Wynter’s work challenges conventional notions of identity and existence.

One of the highlights of this collection is an extensive conversation between Sylvia Wynter and Katherine McKittrick. This dialogue not only outlines Wynter’s interactions with influential thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, W. E. B. DuBois, and Aimé Césaire but also showcases the expansive reach and impact of her intellectual endeavors. Through this interview, readers gain insight into Wynter’s mission to rehistoricize the concept of humanness as a form of praxis, making it relevant to contemporary discussions on identity and race.