‘We recognized each other before': On the confluences and constellations of Black geographies, geographies of the Black Atlantic, and Black ecologies

This rejoinder dialogues with the commentaries bestowed on our article by focusing on three themes: the contours of discipline, love as struggle, and shared grammars for coming storms and those already with us. We argue that, while academic disciplines often function as colonial infrastructures designed to channel and contain knowledge, a Black geographical scholarly praxis embraces confluences - processes of becoming stronger through the convergence of diverse onto-epistemological worlds. Drawing on the metaphors of constellations and sand, we move beyond seamless integration to embrace a relational approach that acknowledges the frictions, confluences, and necessities of love and solidarity. We clarify that Black Geographies, geographies of the Black Atlantic, and Black Ecologies are not academic elixirs, but practices of recognition and co-resistance rooted in Black thought rather than traditional Western disciplines. Ultimately, the piece advocates for ‘un-disciplinary’ disciplines that refuse colonial rigidity in favor of interdependence, reciprocity, and the arduous labor of building lasting coalitions and solidarities.

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Publication Details

Journal
Dialogues in Human Geography
Published
2026-04-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/20438206261443544
Primary Topic
Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

‘We recognized each other before': On the confluences and constellations of Black geographies, geographies of the Black Atlantic, and Black ecologies

Case Watkins, Judith Carney, Alex A. Moulton, Teona Williams et al.
Dialogues in Human Geography
Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
article

‘We recognized each other before': On the confluences and constellations of Black geographies, geographies of the Black Atlantic, and Black ecologies

Case Watkins, Judith Carney, Alex A. Moulton, Teona Williams, Christian Keeve, Levi Van Sant
article en

Abstract

This rejoinder dialogues with the commentaries bestowed on our article by focusing on three themes: the contours of discipline, love as struggle, and shared grammars for coming storms and those already with us. We argue that, while academic disciplines often function as colonial infrastructures designed to channel and contain knowledge, a Black geographical scholarly praxis embraces confluences - processes of becoming stronger through the convergence of diverse onto-epistemological worlds. Drawing on the metaphors of constellations and sand, we move beyond seamless integration to embrace a relational approach that acknowledges the frictions, confluences, and necessities of love and solidarity. We clarify that Black Geographies, geographies of the Black Atlantic, and Black Ecologies are not academic elixirs, but practices of recognition and co-resistance rooted in Black thought rather than traditional Western disciplines. Ultimately, the piece advocates for ‘un-disciplinary’ disciplines that refuse colonial rigidity in favor of interdependence, reciprocity, and the arduous labor of building lasting coalitions and solidarities.

Dialogues in Human Geography
James Madison University (US), University of Kentucky (US), George Mason University (US), UCLA Health (US), Hunter College (US), Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NL), Mississippi State University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
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