About Us
OUR MISSION
"MAP’s mission is to address structural injustices in academic philosophy and to remove barriers that impede participation in academic philosophy for members of marginalized groups. Through our international organizing team and graduate student-led network of autonomous chapters around the world, we aim to examine and dismantle mechanisms that prevent students from marginalized groups from participating in academic philosophy, as well as to promote philosophical work done from marginalized perspectives, and help improve working conditions for scholars from marginalized backgrounds."
What We Do
This chapter, established Fall 2023, aims broadly at addressing (a) minority issues in the profession, (b) theoretical issues regarding philosophy of gender, race, sexual orientation, class, disability, native language, etc., and (c) philosophy done from minority perspectives.
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Meeting formats include:
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external or internal speakers,
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reading groups,
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film screenings,
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mentorship events for undergraduates or graduates,
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panel discussions,
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practical workshops (e.g., on communication techniques, navigating stereotype threat or implicit bias).
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​In the short term, MAP provides a forum for students to discuss these topics and connect with interested peers. In the long term, we hope that MAP will contribute to improved department cultures and facilitate increased participation of underrepresented groups in academic philosophy.
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This chapter aims at providing a safe and positive space for undergraduate and graduate student minorities to be supported, heard, and to encouraged in their academic goals.
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Current Leadership
Organizers
BERNARDO R. VARGAS
Ph.D. Philosophy Student at UNT | Mellon Fellow |
Co-Founder
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Crossing Latinidades Mellon Humanities Fellow (2023-2024): Junior Peer & Researcher, Climate and Environmental Justice, Crossing Latinidades Humanities Research Working Group with faculty from the various members of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities
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My primary area of research centers on questions of oppression and liberation, particularly in regard to racial identity, racism, and environmental justice as they relate to Mexican Americans and Latinxs in the US.
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I inform my approach from multiple rich disciplines: Africana Studies, Indigenous Studies, Decolonial Theory, and Latinx Studies. Within these broader disciplines, I am particularly engaged with History, Sociology, Critical Race Theory, and Latino Critical Legal Theory. An environmental justice approach integrates my concern with the ongoing history of environmental racism toward BIPOC, namely Latinxs, and their resistance to such discrimination through decolonial approaches to environmentalism. The particular areas in philosophy that I am concerned with are environmental justice, philosophy of race, decoloniality, Mexican American philosophy, Latinx philosophy, and social and political philosophy.
Anna Kokareva
Ph.D. Philosophy Student at UNT | Co-Founder & Blog editor
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Anna is a first-year Ph.D. student in the department of philosophy and religion at UNT. Anna’s interests are at the intersection of feminist philosophies, environmental justice and communication. During her time as a Master's student, she served as a We Mean Green Fund Committee secretary supporting its mission to promote sustainability initiatives on campus.
Sara Louise Tonge
Ph.D. Philosophy Student at UNT | Co-Founder
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Team Members
Elizabeth Martinez
Undergraduate Student: Philosophy | Social Media Chair
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