Epistemic Justice in Marginalized Spaces

Sor Juana's work exemplifies epistemic injustice—the systematic dismissal of knowledge claims from women, the poor, and those of mixed heritage. Yet her letters, poetry, and theological arguments demonstrate that profound wisdom emerges precisely from positions of marginalization. In intersectionality practice, epistemic justice means intentionally seeking out, valuing, and centering knowledge produced by those navigating multiple systems of oppression. These perspectives are not merely anecdotal or supplementary; they offer essential truths about how power operates and how resilience functions. By practicing epistemic justice, we overturn the hierarchy that treats dominant-group knowledge as universal while treating marginalized perspectives as particular or biased, creating space for the most marginalized voices to reshape what counts as truth.