Colonial Legacies Revisited in the Digital Era - Keynote Presentation by Dr. Lauren Beck

It is a pleasure to invite you to “Colonial Legacies Revisited in the Digital Era” organized by the
graduate students of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at McGill University,
Montreal, Canada.
In the digital era, with the rise of social media, the outcomes of an unprecedented pandemic, a rise in
surveillance capitalism, and in some cases, rediscovering the (re)signification and even complete
elimination of colonial symbols through historical and cultural revisionism, recent academic
discussions have featured the decolonized approach. Postcolonial theories have expanded and
contributed to the visibility of historically oppressed communities, but much work remains in literary
and cultural studies. The rise of political movements has renewed interest in the ideas of post- and
decolonial theorists such as Albert Memmi, Jacques Derrida, Gayatri Spivak, Edward W. Said, Homi
K. Bhabba, Maryse Condé, and Walter Mignolo.
As a department committed to the tenants of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), we are
committed to engage with these complex and critical issues in a meaningful way, and welcome diverse
perspectives and approaches, including those from Indigenous and Black communities. Through our
commitment to this work, we aim to deepen our understanding and contribute to ongoing efforts
towards decolonization. Therefore, what sets of parameters enable decolonization in our current
society and how does it confront colonial legacies in today’s digital age?