In this episode of Decolonization in Action, I spoke with Berlin-based comedian, Kate Cheka about the Enlightenment, (post)coloniality, and the power of protest. In addition to talking about her work in comedy and the radical potential of joy and community building comedy can create, Kate also shares her scholarly research from her master’s thesis which centered around decolonial critiques of the Enlightenment. After studying in New Delhi and Buenos Aires, Kate also talks about how traveling to formerly colonized cities gave her an expanded understanding of ongoing forms of coloniality as well as the ways in which the classroom continues to be a colonial space.
Image taken by Kate Cheka.
Kate Cheka is a Berlin-based recent graduate in MA Global Studies at the Humboldt University. Her thesis entitled The Threat of European, Enlightenment Thinking in (Post)colonial Spaces was inspired by her time at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. It is about the exportation of the hyper-rationality of European thinking to the Global South. Presenting the voices of feminist, decolonial, and marginalized theorists it argues that the solutions to our present crises already exist but are often overlooked by Western hegemony. She is also a regular on the Berlin comedy scene and produces two shows – a femmes open mic Shows before Bros (every third Wednesday of the month) and a women of color showcase WOKE PANTIES.