about
Wynter Wonderland is an ethical, community-based initiative and intervention that expands on and critiques Western concepts of “the human” and emphasizes the decolonization of knowledge through the lens of Hip Hop, with a focus on young Black women who are active participants in the culture. Scholar Sylvia Wynter’s ideas encourage reimagining identity beyond societal stereotypes, recognizing Hip Hop as a form of cognitive justice and cultural resistance. By incorporating her focus on race, gender, and colonial power structures, the collective explores how Hip Hop empowers Black girls to challenge dominant narratives, express their experiences, and foster a sense of community.
Just like in Hip Hop, “Wynter” and “Wonderland” are wordplays on the protagonist, Winter Santiaga of the classic novel The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah and scholar Sylvia Wynter. Winter is a young lady who uses her street smarts for survival. There are many Winters, family and friends of Winter, in this world, who have experiential knowledge, dreams, thoughts, and ideas that have yet to find a space to be expressed and developed. Wynter (1994) places a critical lens on the value of looking at the street intellectual’s unique experience in the world we live in. She is a thinker, a wonderer of humanity and possibilities. Wonderland is a space where we dream, imagine, question, release, decide, and manifest to become who we are. Lastly, it is a nod to artist Janelle Monae’s creative collective, Wondaland, which is a “community for radical n’ rebellious storytellers” (X, 2024) who are also immersed in Afrofuturism.
In July 2025, Wynter Wonderland debuted as an exploratory and abbreviated course at the Jefferson Market Library branch of the New York Public Library. The Coldest Winter Ever was in conversation with Sylvia Wynter’s “No Humans Involved: An Open Letter to my Colleagues.” It was an interactive course that used theory, narratives, lyrics, and videos to connect the novel’s protagonist, Winter Santiaga, Sylvia Wynter, and the world around us.
wynter in the summer testimonials:
“This one of those courses I will never forget. It’s impacted my brain in a way like never before. It helped me see myself though I’m not a black women through the eyes of injustice and other ways justice can be made. How it’s not always greener on the other side.”
“Dr. Hutchinson is a thought leader and knowledge expert. I believe her ability to translate concepts to different experiential and socioeconomic persons is the greatest asset to engaging in this course. Though some subject matter was emotional and potentially racially segmented she led and navigated the class through those waters with civility and respect.”
“This is a powerful Black womanist and anti-capitalist and decolonial reading experience that is truly multimedia and spans across history and geographical context, while remaining connected to New York.”
“This workshop is for those who are interested in questioning narratives and the inherent understanding of our humanhood.”
kashema 