decolonization

To take an indigenous persons virginity

decolonization: is to describe the indigenous
teacher “bro, you totally decolonized her!”
student “i know, you should of come!”

by spanishforeverdrdill March 25, 2022

Decolonial Theory

A critical framework that analyzes the ongoing legacies of colonialism and argues for the decolonization of knowledge, power, and being itself. Decolonial theory goes beyond postcolonialism's focus on cultural hybridity and representation to examine the deeper structures—the "coloniality of power"—that persist long after formal independence. It argues that colonialism didn't just conquer territories but conquered ways of knowing, ways of valuing, ways of being human—and that genuine liberation requires decolonizing all of these. Decolonial theorists draw on Indigenous, African, Latin American, and other non-Western intellectual traditions to imagine worlds beyond Western dominance. The theory is not just critique but construction: it seeks not only to identify coloniality but to build alternatives.

Example: "She wasn't just criticizing Western education—she was practicing Decolonial Theory, asking what education might look like if it centered Indigenous ways of knowing rather than treating them as folklore."

by Dumu The Void March 14, 2026

Decolonial Afrocentrism Theory

A theoretical synthesis that brings together Afrocentric perspectives, decolonial analysis, and critical theory to understand and challenge the specific forms of oppression facing African and African diaspora peoples. Decolonial Afrocentrism Theory centers Africa in the analysis of coloniality, examining how the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and ongoing neocolonialism have structured not just African history but the modern world system. It uses decolonial tools to analyze how Western dominance has shaped knowledge about Africa, and Afrocentric tools to recover suppressed perspectives. The synthesis is powerful: decolonial theory provides the framework for analyzing coloniality; Afrocentrism ensures that framework centers African experience; critical theory adds tools for understanding how power operates through ideology, economy, and culture.

Example: "Her work showed how colonial anthropology created 'Africa' as a category of lack—Decolonial Afrocentrism Theory, using multiple critical traditions to understand and challenge a specific history of oppression."

by Dumu The Void March 14, 2026

decolonial minimalism

A philosophical, cultural, and aesthetic movement that merges the principles of minimalism with decolonial thought. It advocates for rejecting excessive consumerism and colonial influences in favor of intentional, ethical, and culturally rooted practices. Decolonial minimalism emphasizes sustainability, indigenous knowledge systems, and the reclamation of identity through simplicity and conscious choices.

His paintings embody decolonial minimalism, stripping away colonial aesthetics to highlight indigenous symbols and narratives in their rawest, most powerful form.

by IJWBAA June 15, 2025

decolonial minimalist

Someone who practices a form of minimalism that actively rejects colonial influences while embracing indigenous, ancestral, or historically marginalized aesthetics and values. This approach prioritizes cultural preservation through simplicity, ensuring that every object, space, or design choice holds deep meaning rather than adhering to Western minimalist standards.

My wardrobe is decolonial minimalist—each piece is ethically sourced and rooted in my heritage, free from colonial fast-fashion trends.

by IJWBAA June 15, 2025

Financial Decolonization

A word coined by Quechua Artist Akapa Supay. This word was coined or created from a blog post he posted on his website which was titled "Financial Decolonization". In simpler terms, its true meaning is unlearning bad financial habits, while adopting financial literacy.

"Did you hear how Chester was saving up his money, used it to invest , while doubling his profit? That's some real Financial Decolonization right there"

"My rent is $1,500 for the month and I only had $2,000 to spend this month. I saw this new game system that was another $500, but when I calculated rent and purchasing the game system I didn't think it was a smart decision. I had to ask myself if It was a necessity, and because It wasn't I chose to save my extra $500. I wanted to execute my Financial Decolonization methods during the heat of the moment.

by Yuraqamaru July 30, 2022

Critical Decolonial Theory

A synthesis of decolonial thought with the tools of critical theory—particularly the Frankfurt School's analysis of power, ideology, and social transformation. Critical Decolonial Theory uses critical theory's rigorous frameworks for analyzing domination while insisting that those frameworks themselves must be decolonized, freed from their own Eurocentric assumptions. It asks how capitalism, racism, and colonialism intertwine; how knowledge production serves domination; how liberation requires both material transformation and epistemic revolution. Critical Decolonial Theory is decolonial thought with the analytical tools of the European critical tradition—but turned against that tradition's own pretensions to universality.

Example: "Her book used Frankfurt School tools to analyze colonial ideology while also showing how those tools themselves carried colonial assumptions. Critical Decolonial Theory: using the master's tools to dismantle the master's house, while recognizing the tools themselves need rebuilding."

by Dumu The Void March 14, 2026