Last Wednesday (10/20), I attended Professor Stephanie Fetta’s talk, “Am I Supposed to be Ashamed of Being Brown.” Dr. Fetta, CLACLS Director, was at UMass Du Bois Library to share with us her research on the soma, which she describes as the “intelligent, communicative, and emotional body.” Fetta guided the audience through her research journey and helped us understand that this deeper subjectivity, the soma, plays a key role in scenes of racialization. Personally, I felt very welcomed and comfortable, since Professor Fetta skillfully turned this academic setting into an experience of interconnectivity and mutual understanding.
Watch a short clip of Professor Fetta’s introduction here: https://vimeo.com/641617686
Dr. Fetta encouraged us to participate with exercises, comments, questions opening a space for reflection and meaningful communication. The event, which became a highly dialogical and productive conversation instead of a traditional lecture, was an exceptional opportunity for the attendees to discuss their own experiences of shame, pain, and social exclusion.
