Biography

I developed a keen interest in researching the interlinkage between anti-racism, Afro-hair aesthetics, and ethnic entrepreneurship as an undergraduate in Political Science and Conflict Resolution at Universidad del Valle (Cali, Colombia). This nexus was rooted in my lived experience as a Black woman with “kinky” hair. Thanks to further engagement with Afro-hair grassroots organizations, I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the resistance strategies Black women undertake through their hairstyles —an article that was published in a Colombian academic journal. This work serves as the foundation for pursuing my PhD in Latin American Studies at Cambridge. I aim to unveil the extent to which and how entrepreneurial anti-racism might be contesting and reshaping economic dynamics for Black women in the country, crafting different economic narratives and dynamics of local development. Moreover, I did my Master’s degree in Development and Governance at the Universität Duisburg-Essen (Germany) as a DAAD- Helmut Schmidt scholar. My Master’s thesis examined reparation policies and cultural repertoires in Afro-Colombian communities. I have significant working experience in the civil society and corporate sectors in my homeland, Colombia.

Previous Education

Universität Duisburg-Essen Development and Governance 2022
Universidad del Valle Political Science and Conflict 2020

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karengiselt/?locale=en_US