Decolonizing Arts-Based Methodologies

Paula D. Royster, Ph.D., is an interdisciplinary scholar practitioner who has researched the African Diaspora on four continents. She is two-time Fulbright Scholarship grantee and published I.AM.ARAPI: The Journey of Akan Israelites in the Islamic Slave Trade (The Fairview Agency, 2019).

• List of FiguresMy Perspective1 Silence in the Western Canon2 Afrocentrism & Ancesterology3 Traditional Historic Methods4 Cultural Anthropology5 Cultural Studies Methodologies6 The Geography of Racial Bias7 Epistemology of KnowledgeReferencesIndex

"Decolonizing Arts-Based Methodologies discusses the methodical, step by step process for anyone who has an interest of tracing their ancestry or anyone that is intrigued about the untold history of African descendants. Dr. Royster challenges the art of perception verses 'what is reality' while researching the African Diaspora. The transparent account of her events engages the reader as she embarks upon a journey that is filled with new theories, obstacles, despondencies, and untold truths. This work of art is not only thought provoking, but it provokes thought about self-perception and the perception of others through Genealogy, History, Cultural Anthropology and Visual Studies. Even though this literature is a resourceful tool for ancestry tracing, it also provides compelling evidence; backed with research and historical data that African Descendants contributions have been overtly excluded from American History. Dr. Royster teaches us that forward progression for African Americans means dispelling the incomplete picture that has been presented to the American culture, for hundreds of years; and suggests that we should relearn truths from our perspective, to create a complete picture of our African heritage." - Laurette W., student at the Southern New Hampshire University