A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse
Description
This work introduces the Poetical Science Discourse Method, an original research methodology that positions poetry as primary data generation. Fusing the creative power of poetry with the analytical rigor of scholarly discourse, Poetical Science Discourse Method treats the poem itself as primary data, the primary site of data creation — the research itself, capturing lived experience, cultural meaning, and political insight in real time. Distinct from conventional poetic inquiry and arts-based research, The Poetical Science Discourse Method formalizes a five-step process: (1) selection of theme or phenomenon; (2) composition of a poem as the initial act of inquiry; (3) application of an explicit theoretical lens; (4) integration of social, historical, and cultural context; and (5) presentation of poem and scholarly discourse as a single, citable research artifact.
The method is rooted in African diasporic epistemologies, embedding cultural orientation as a non-negotiable foundation. Each poem is intentionally constructed as an epistemic act, paired with rigorous theoretical analysis, producing an inseparable unity of creative and critical scholarship. This design renders the method replicable and adaptable across disciplines, including Africana Studies, political science, linguistics, education, and cultural studies.
A2 is a formal research methods text that challenges Eurocentric separations of art and science, offering scholars a theory-integrated framework for generating and interpreting knowledge. A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse models this approach in practice, providing both conceptual grounding and applied exemplars for scholars, educators, and graduate researchers seeking to expand the methodological canon.
“Dr. Ayo Sekai uses poetry to reimagine academic scholarship, assert her voice as a linguistic scholar, and reclaim the narrative of her identity and heritage as an Afro-descendant. In doing so, she skillfully positions poetic activism as a potent nexus of art, literature, storytelling, and philosophical expression of societal worldview. This book offers a stimulating and innovative approach to the intellectual renewal and celebration of transcendental Africanity.”
—Mohamed S. Camara, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of African Studies
Editor-in-Chief, Howard Journal of African Studies
Howard University
“Dr. Sekai pulls from both her acquired academic knowledge and her lived experiences to provide a unique volume of Afrocentric thought and presents a voice that reflects the struggles and concerns throughout the diaspora. She does this while weaving reflective poetry through her content. Dr. Sekai uniquely uses poetry as the political framework of her volume. It is clearly worth reading.”
—Henry T. Frierson, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Past Associate Vice President and Graduate School Dean
College of Education
University of Florida
At 16 years old, Dr. Ayo Sekai penned the poem “South Africa,” poignantly weaving political activism, African consciousness, and the spirit of the ancestors. Her passion for Black people was so evident and powerful that I included it on my CD track “Short Takes,” released in 1992. As a self-trained musician, a bassist who began playing music at 12 years old, I recognized in Dr. Sekai the same defiance that moves me in my music and propels me to play the sounds of the Souls of Black Folk (W. E. B. Du Bois). Watching her evolve into the force of nature she is now is the manifestation of the hope of the slave, passing the torch of liberation and combining the synergies of words, like music notes writing the revolution in scholarship.
—Lonnie Plaxico Bassist
Composer, Producer Double Bass
Bass Guitar
Louis Armstrong Jazz Award
LonniePlaxico.com
