Illuminating Black Knowledge and Cultural Production

Transforming Theory, Policy, and Practice

Centering Critical and Creative Epistemologies for Equitable Futures

​​Wilson Kwamogi Okello, Ph.D.

a transdisciplinary artist and scholar, whose work engages Black critical theories to advance research on knowledge production and human development.

His poetry, art practice, and scholarship foster creative and expansive methods for disrupting normative functions and envisioning alternative possibilities.

Dr. Okello’s research examines how theories of Blackness can reframe our perspectives on racialized stress and trauma, qualitative inquiry, critical masculinities, and educational curriculum and instruction, all with the goal of generating life-affirming conditions in education and society.

Currently, Dr. Okello is an Assistant Professor of higher education at Penn State University and the Director of the Black Study in Education Lab, a research and practice hub dedicated to exploring the potentialities of Blackness in educational research, practice, and policy.

Things to know about Dr. Wilson Okello:

  • With over 50 scholarly publications, his work has appeared in leading academic journals such as the Journal of College Student Development, Race, Ethnicity and Education, and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 
  • He is the co-editor of Trauma-Informed Practice in Student Affairs: Multidimensional Considerations for Care, Healing, and Wellbeing, a New Directions for Student Services volume, and the forthcoming solo author of On Blackness, Liveliness, and What it Means to be Human: Toward Black Specificity in Higher Education, to be published by SUNY Press. 
  • A thought-provoking orator with a commanding presence, Dr. Okello effectively translates complex ideas, guiding audiences to new insights and perspectives.
COMING SOON

On Blackness, Liveliness, and What it Means to be Human:

Toward Black Specificity in Higher Education
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Extensive experience as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator

Advancing Possibilities through Art & Scholarship
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In today’s evolving academic and social landscapes, addressing the complexities of equity, anti-Blackness, and holistic well-being in higher education and society is paramount.  Dr. Okello offers a unique blend of critical scholarship, practical experience, and creative methodologies to empower organizations, institutions, students, faculty, and administrators. Here’s why working with Dr. Okello will be transformative:
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Interdisciplinary and Innovate Scholarship and Practice: As a transdisciplinary artist and scholar, Dr. Okello’s scholarship and creative activities advance research, theory, policy, and practice both within and beyond higher education. This unique perspective equips participants with the knowledge and strategies to dismantle systemic barriers.

Proven Impact and Practical Solutions

  • Actionable Insights: Each session is designed not only to provoke thought but to drive action. Participants leave with practical tools and strategies they can implement immediately within their institutions.
  • Collaborative Engagements: Workshops are interactive, fostering collaboration and peer engagement. This approach ensures that solutions are not only theoretically sound but also practically viable and tailored to the specific needs of the participants.
  • For Organizations and Institutions: Enhance your commitment to equity by providing your members with cutting-edge knowledge and tools to address systemic inequities.
  • For Students: Empower students to navigate and challenge oppressive structures within academia and beyond, fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational experience.
  • For Faculty: Support faculty in their scholarly and personal journeys by offering frameworks and strategies to prioritize holistic well-being.
  • For Administrators: Equip administrators with the insights and strategies needed to lead equity-minded initiatives and create institutional change.
  • Tailored Offerings: Dr. Okello provides both in-person and virtual sessions, accommodating various formats to meet the specific needs and constraints of your organization.
  • Comprehensive Support: From keynotes to hands-on workshops, Dr. Okello offers a comprehensive suite of services that address multiple facets of equity and well-being in higher education.

services

Speaking & facilitation

Sessions formatted as 45 minute lecture followed by 15 minute Q & A session
Two Women Sitting on Couch

Blackness and human development, and the multidimensionality of Black knowledge and cultural production

Inspiring critical reflection and transformative action through Black intellectual thought

  • Black studies and Black feminisms
  • Black Methodologies
  • Arts-based and critical qualitative research
  • Identity formation
  • Racialized trauma and stress
  • Centering Blackness in Educational Research and Practice
  • Black Feminist Epistemologies and Methodologies
  • The Impact of Racialized Trauma on Black Students
  • Self-Defining Praxis as a Medium for Fuller Living
  • “Loving Blackness”: Exploring Self-Love and Healing
Thinking with Harriet Jacobs: Creating the Conditions for Joy

This talk will use Harriet Jacobs’ life and work as a lens to understand the metaphorical crawlspaces within higher education where Black Joy and creativity thrive despite systemic antagonisms. We will explore how these spaces serve as sites of resistance and imagination, offering a critique of current educational structures.

Key Points
  • Introduction to Harriet Jacobs and her significance.
  • The concept of the crawlspace in higher education.
  • Examples of Black Joy and creativity within these spaces.
  • Implications for reimagining educational practices.
People Having Conversation While Having Snacks

Examining the complexity of gender, race, and equity

  • Critical masculinities
  • Black men and Black feminisms
  • Racial battle fatigue
  • Exploring the possibilities of Intimacy and Tenderness
  • Deconstructing Masculinity
  • Mental Health
Are You Sure You Want to be Well?: On the Necessity of Healing

Inspired by Toni Cade Bambara’s question in “The Salt Eaters,” this talk reflects on the essential need for minoritized faculty and staff to pursue holistic healing as part of their labor in and beyond the university. It emphasizes the responsibility to contend with oppressive patterns and behaviors and offers pathways for achieving wellness.

Key Points
  • The importance of healing in the context of academic labor.
  • The role of responsibility in pursuing wellness.
  • Strategies for holistic healing for minoritized faculty and staff.
Teacher Giving the Test Result to His Student

Guiding institutions in creating liberatory learning environments

  • Student learning and development 
  • Critical pedagogy and curriculum development
  • Leadership development
  • Faculty and staff development 
  • Fostering Student Success and Belonging
  • Developing Affirming Leadership Practices
  • Reimagining Faculty Roles in Advancing Equity
Epistemic Asphyxiation: Whiteness, Academic Publishing, and the Suffocation of Black Knowledge Production

This presentation highlights anti-Black practices, specifically, academic publishing processes within higher education and explores possibilities for minoritized faculty to navigate and resist these oppressive structures.

Key Points
  • Definition and explanation of epistemic asphyxiation.
  • The role of whiteness in academic publishing.
  • Impact on Black knowledge production and minoritized faculty.
  • Strategies for creating otherwise possibilities in academia.
Leading scholar of Black Study in Higher Education
Recipient of numerous national awards including
the ASHE Early Career Award

ASHE Mildred Garcia Junior Scholar Award

ACPA Emerging Scholar

Contact Wilson

Connect with me to discuss collaborative opportunities, request speaking engagements, or learn more about my work. I am always open to engaging with students, educators, researchers, and policymakers dedicated to fostering equity in education.