Prof Rozena Maart - HELTASA 2019 Keynote address
Channel: Nicola Pallitt
Date: 02/12/2019

Professor Rozena Maart works at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in the School of Social Science. She served as the director of the Centre for Critical Research on Race and Identity [CCRRI] for five years prior to her sabbatical. Professor Maart undertook her undergraduate education at the University of the Western Cape, her Masters at the University of York in the UK, and her PhD at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Her work examines the intersections between and among Political Philosophy, Black Consciousness, Derridean deconstruction and psychoanalysis, all of which address questions of race, gender and identity. In 1986, at the age of 24, she was nominated for the "Woman of the Year," award in South Africa for her work in the area of gender-based violence and for starting (with four other women) the first Black feminist organisation in South Africa: Women Against Repression [W.A.R.].

Professor Maart has published several books, journal articles and book chapters. Her works of fiction made the African Studies Association short-list for the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize in 2010, the HOMEBRU list in South Africa in 2006 and the best seller list in Canada in 2005.

Professor Maart recently served on the scientific committee of the first South-South Philosophy textbook, titled, Philosophy Manual, A South-South Perspective, which is a UNESCO project and represents Africa, South and Central America, the Arab region, and Asia.

She has also supervised Arts students and opened art events, museums and galleries in Canada and South Africa over the past twenty years and has also made videos and written reviews of art exhibitions. In 2016, she received the William R. Jones lifetime achievement award by Philosophy Born of Struggle for her work in Philosophy, especially her ground-breaking work in Philosophy Born of Massacres.

In January 2019 Professor Maart was appointed as an International Research Ambassador of the University of Bremen in Germany.

She is a member of the Caribbean Philosophy Association, having completed a five-year term as Black Consciousness and Psychoanalysis Secretary. She is also a member of the Philosophy Born of Struggle, the Collegium of Black Women in Philosophy and the International Assembly of Women in Philosophy [UNESCO].