Research Discipline/Bio
Shapel Monique LaBorde is a doctoral student in the Philosophy and Education program, with research deeply shaped by her identity as a Black feminist mother, educator, and scholar. Her work focuses on intersectionality in education, exploring how race, gender, and class influence the educational experiences of marginalized communities. Grounded in Black feminist thought, Shapel challenges Eurocentric epistemologies, advocating for decolonized embodied knowledge that centers non-Western and community-based knowledge.
As a mama/educator, she employs liberation pedagogy, inspired by thinkers like bell hooks, and Paulo Freire, fostering classrooms that encourage critical thinking, empowerment, and social justice. Her research highlights motherhood as a site of resistance, emphasizing care and nurturance as radical educational tools. Shapel is committed to creating inclusive, culturally relevant learning spaces that empower students to imagine and build more equitable futures today.
Educational Background
Master of Arts, Philosophy and Education, Teachers College Columbia University,2023
Esthetics Diploma, Christine Valmy International School, 2018
Master of Arts, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Hunter College School of Education,2018
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, Spelman College, 2013
Honors/Awards
Legacy Award, Philosophy of Education Society (PES), 2026
Sharon Gay Pierson Endowed Scholar, 2025-26
Emerging Scholar Awardee, Northeastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES), 2025
Rise Up Foundation Scholarship, National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), 2025
Dean's Grant for Student Research, Teachers College Columbia University, 2024-2025
Emerging Scholar Awardee, Northeastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES), 2023
Publications/Exhibitions
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2026, March). “The Sound of Absence: Black Grief and the Preservation of Legacy.” Session 16, “Epistemologies and Ontologies.” African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) Eleventh Annual Conference — Pittsburgh, PA
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2026, March). “My House Is a School: Place, Memory, and Community as Public Philosophy.” Public-facing session facilitation. Philosophy of Education Society (PES) Annual Meeting — Pittsburgh, PA
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2026, March). “In the Wake of Homegoing: Rootedness, Loss, and Learning.” CGSSW-sponsored session. Philosophy of Education Society (PES) Annual Meeting — Pittsburgh, PA
Monique LaBorde, S., & Alston, K. (2025). History, identity, and the table we set: A conversation on feminist praxis in PES. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 58(10), 913–920. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2025.2572799
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2025, October). “Resurrecting the Beloved: Black Feminist Grief, Ancestral Knowledge, and the Practice of Educational Becoming.” Emerging Scholar paper. North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES) Annual Conference — Haverford College, Haverford, PA
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2025, October). “Twice as Good, …: A Black Feminist Critique of the Racialized Economy of Excellence.”5th Biennial Conference on Anthropology & Education — Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2025, April). “The Archive Is in My Skin: Nails, Scars, Stretch Marks, and Ancestry.” Pan-Africanism & Education: Interdisciplinary & Critical Approaches in the 21st Century — Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
LaBorde, Shapel M. (2025, March). “Beyond the Future: Education as a Radical Act of Presence Using Black Feminist Epistemologies.” Panel presentation. Philosophy of Education Society (PES) 81st Annual Meeting — Baltimore, MD
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2026