Punahou School welcomed Nitasha Sharma on April 6 for a powerful and thought-provoking visit that brought students, faculty, and community members together in meaningful conversation.
Throughout the day, Dr. Sharma engaged with a wide range of classes, faculty and student affinity groups, participating in classroom visits, discussions and informal talk-story sessions across campus.
At her morning talk story in Thurston Classroom, Dr. Sharma – Professor of Asian American Studies at Northwestern University – shared insights from her scholarship on race, identity and the Black experience in Hawaiʻi. Drawing from her work as an ethnographer and author, she challenged the audience to examine how anti-Black racism operates within local contexts and how histories of Black and Native Hawaiian struggle intersect.
She also emphasized the importance of expanding how Hawaiʻi’s history is taught by incorporating Black perspectives into the curriculum. By doing so, she noted, schools can offer a more complete and inclusive understanding of the island’s collective history and the diverse communities who have shaped it.
During this session, students also engaged in deeper dialogue around questions of racial pride, cultural identity and what it means to grow up in Hawaiʻi without access to Black history and community in the same ways as on the continent. Dr. Sharma’s discussion of “Black localness” resonated strongly, highlighting the distinct experiences of Black individuals who call Hawaiʻi home.
Throughout her talk, Dr. Sharma emphasized the importance of education and shared responsibility, reminding listeners not to place the burden of racial understanding solely on Black communities. Referencing the ideas of Angela Davis, she encouraged students to think critically about how identity and politics shape one another, and how solidarity across communities can lead to more just futures.
Her visit sparked important conversations about how race is understood, taught and lived in Hawaiʻi today. We are grateful to Dr. Sharma for sharing her knowledge, challenging our perspectives, and inspiring our community to continue learning and growing together.
