University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts reposted this
In celebration of Black History Month, I would like to highlight some of the inspirational Black researchers here at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts, the Tier 2 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC-CRSH) Canada Research Chair in Race, Gender and Performance, a Dorothy Killam Fellow, and the principal investigator of the Black And Free research-creation project. Black And Free is an artistic and academic experience that deepens, enlivens and expresses themes of blackness and freedom, projecting expansive visions of what that could be for engaged, curious and casual members of the public. As Principal Investigator of Black And Free, Dr. Keleta-Mae leads multi-year research partnerships with private and public sector organizations, and a research team of more of than 30 members. Her research is supported by SSHRC, the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, the National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, and the University of Waterloo with funding secured through to 2027. Apart from being an award-winning researcher and accomplished author, Dr. Keleta-Mae is a multidisciplinary artist who has recorded albums, collaborated on a series of short surrealist videos, created multi-media art and written plays. When asked what one fact is no one would guess about her, she said, “I do my bantu knots myself.” Bantu knots, a hairstyle that originates from southern Africa, consist of hair separated into a number of sections with each one twisted and tied in place. Learn more about Dr. Keleta-Mae and her impactful research on the University of Waterloo website: https://lnkd.in/g_Mucazy University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #UWaterlooProud