Abstract

In recent years, a broad field of knowledge about Afro-descendant histories, cultures, and political movements has developed in and from Chile. This intellectual production, which has contributed decisively to countering the historical invisibilization of the Afrodescendant population in Chile, has been mobilized in different formats, with different methodological approaches and disciplinary positions, and has unfolded in various forums and publications. Although this research field has developed in dialogue with research and debates in other countries, both in the region and farther away, and has already been subject to important systematization efforts, due to its incipient consolidation there have been few attempts to reflect systematically on the ethical-political and epistemological implications of research about Afro-descendant topics and with Afro-descendant subjects, as well as on the positionality of local research perspectives. In this context, this article takes as a point of departure the challenge presented by an Afro-descendant activist to the researchers who participated in a virtual Afro-descendant studies seminar in 2020. Starting from questions about possible problems of appropriation, extractivism, or epistemic violence, the article advocates for dialogue with frameworks such as afroepistemology or situated knowledge, calling into question the epistemic inequalities and privileges that usually characterize academic knowledge. As a counterpoint, we review the Brazilian debate about racial quotas and the inclusion of quilombola knowledge in universities, tracking their epistemic impact and identifying possible lessons for the Chilean context.

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