Djamila begins a new chapter in Cambridge

The philosopher and writer shares her first impressions of the year she will spend in the United States, dedicated to teaching and writing.

Djamila has embarked on a new and important chapter in her academic journey. Nine days ago, she arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States — the city that will be her home for the next year. In a recent Instagram post, the Brazilian philosopher shared with her followers the first steps of this new phase, marked by warm welcomes, discoveries, and precious time for intellectual production.

Upon arrival, Djamila was warmly welcomed by her host professor, Joaquin Terrones, and other colleagues in her department. While handling bureaucratic matters such as issuing her ID badge, she also had the chance to connect with two distinguished Brazilian women in the area: Nilma Dominique and Rosabelli Coelho, both leading figures at the renowned MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Rosabelli leads projects in Brazil and the Amazon biome with students, professors, corporate partners, academic institutions, foundations, and government organizations connected to MIT. Nilma is a Portuguese language instructor responsible for developing and implementing the current Portuguese curriculum at MIT.

Sunny days

The weather added to the warm welcome, with sunny days and unseasonably warm temperatures that, in Djamila’s words, “welcomed and embraced” her. As she explores the city and university campus — with a touch of humor, admitting she’s still “trying not to get lost” — Djamila celebrates “days that are not only bright but also interesting.”

This first semester will be dedicated mainly to writing and organizing ongoing projects. “I’ve already submitted the course syllabus, but I won’t be teaching until next semester. I’ll use this time to write, meet the other professors in the Martin Luther King Jr. program, and complete delayed projects,” she shared on social media.

Djamila sees this new phase as a valuable achievement, emphasizing the importance of being able to focus on intellectual work with greater calm. “I’ve never had this kind of time. I’ve always written and managed projects while life was moving at a thousand miles an hour. So I truly value this moment — the result of many battles,” she said, adding: “Time is truly an Orixá.”

Content translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence