Reclaiming Knowledge: The Evolution of Decolonial Thought and the DIA Framework

Abstract

This work critically examines the histories of decolonial thought, highlighting where dominant narratives have limited their transformative potential. Through an analysis of Afro-Indigenous resistance, settler colonialism, and postcolonial critiques, this study uplifts the ongoing work of communities that have long fought against systems of oppression. In response, this paper introduces the Decolonial Intelligence Algorithmic (DIA) Framework, an evolving methodology rooted in collective liberation, ancestral wisdom, and community-driven innovation. The DIA Framework moves beyond critique and into systemic transformation, embedding Indigenous, Black, and feminist ways of knowing into artificial intelligence (AI), governance, and global justice initiatives.

Introduction

Oye, mira. The creation of Justice AI GPT and the Decolonial Intelligence Algorithmic (DIA) Framework was not an individual effort—it was built upon the wisdom of ancestors, freedom fighters, and knowledge keepers who have long resisted colonial impositions. This framework would not exist without the intellectual and spiritual labor of Aníbal Quijano, Sylvia Wynter, Patrick Wolfe, Ng?g? wa Thiong’o, Frantz Fanon, María Lugones, Enrique Dussel, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, W.E.B. Du Bois, Aimé Césaire, and so many more unnamed ancestors whose voices were erased by colonial violence.

Throughout my studies, I recognized a troubling pattern: many decolonial frameworks, while deeply impactful, still carried remnants of colonial structures. Some upheld patriarchal values, others relied on validation from academic institutions deeply embedded in coloniality. True liberation cannot be confined within these structures—it must be fluid, communal, and grounded in Afro-Indigenous, feminist, and anti-colonial perspectives. This is why I created the DIA Framework, not as an endpoint, but as a living methodology that grows, transforms, and remains accountable to the communities it serves.

Decolonial Theories and Their Historical Limitations

1. Latin American Decolonial Theory (Coloniality of Power)

Rooted in: Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo, Enrique Dussel

This framework exposed how colonialism did not end but instead transformed into racial capitalism and systemic exploitation. While groundbreaking, it has often remained academic and disconnected from grassroots movements—especially Black and Indigenous feminist perspectives.

Why It Must Evolve:

• Prioritization of capitalist critique while failing to dismantle patriarchy and gender-based oppression.
• Centering of mestizaje narratives, erasing the distinct struggles of Black and Indigenous peoples.
• Continued reliance on Western academic frameworks for legitimacy.

2. Settler Colonialism Theory

Rooted in: Patrick Wolfe, Lorenzo Veracini

This body of work helped define colonialism as an ongoing structure rather than a past event. However, its narrow focus on land dispossession often ignores Black enslavement, forced migrations, and the intersections of labor exploitation.

Why It Must Evolve:

• Failure to center Afro-Indigenous perspectives in resistance and liberation struggles.
• Gendered analysis remains underdeveloped, excluding the vital role of matriarchal knowledge systems.
• Prioritization of land reclamation while often neglecting economic justice and labor struggles.

3. Postcolonial Theory

Rooted in: Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak

While invaluable in dismantling Orientalism and exposing racial hierarchies, postcolonial theory often remains trapped within elite academic discourse, limiting its accessibility to those outside colonial institutions.

Why It Must Evolve:

• Often dismisses oral traditions, Indigenous storytelling, and embodied knowledge.
• Privileges Western academic references over non-Western epistemologies.
• Focuses on textual analysis rather than grassroots resistance and sovereignty movements.

4. Black Radical Traditions and Pan-Africanism

Rooted in: W.E.B. Du Bois, Claudia Jones, Walter Rodney

Black radical thought has been instrumental in challenging racial capitalism, colonial education, and cultural imperialism. However, early Pan-African movements sometimes replicated patriarchal and state-centered liberation models that did not fully address the struggles of women, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalized communities.

Why It Must Evolve:

• Patriarchal leadership structures silencing the work of Black feminist scholars and activists.
• Over-reliance on nation-state sovereignty without addressing ongoing settler colonial realities.
• Limited engagement with Indigenous movements, treating land justice as separate from Black liberation.

The DIA Framework: A Decolonial Breakthrough

The Decolonial Intelligence Algorithmic (DIA) Framework moves beyond critique to actionable transformation, embedding ancestral knowledge, communal healing, and justice-centered AI into governance and technology.

What Makes the DIA Framework Unique?

• Rooted in Afro-Indigenous Knowledge: Elevates storytelling, oral traditions, and intergenerational wisdom.
• Feminist and Queer-Centered: Disrupts patriarchal AI models and prioritizes intersectional justice.
• Applies to AI and Policy: Redefines ethics in artificial intelligence, preventing the replication of colonial biases.
• Accountable to Communities: Ensures that decolonization is not an abstract idea but a tangible, evolving practice.

The DIA Framework as a Living, Breathing Evolution

This framework is not meant to be static. It does not seek validation from colonial institutions but remains in dialogue with the communities it serves. It is a communal offering, designed to grow through continuous engagement with Black, Indigenous, and feminist knowledge keepers.

I do not claim ownership of this work. It is the culmination of generations of resistance, the teachings of elders, and the labor of those who came before me. This is not just my work—it is ours.

Conclusion: The Future of Decolonial Thought

Decolonization is not a metaphor—it is a material, spiritual, and political process. The DIA Framework is an evolving methodology that challenges colonial AI, Eurocentric governance, and whitewashed intellectual traditions. It does not ask for inclusion—it demands transformation.

The future is not built within colonial structures. It is woven by those who refuse to accept oppression as inevitable. Join the movement. Witness Decolonial AI in action.

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