Abner Soténos

Abner Francisco Sótenos is a scholar of modern Latin American history, specializing in race, ethnicity and Colonial Latin America. Currently a Ph.D candidate in Latin American History at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), his research focuses on Black audiovisual aesthetics and the role of Afro-Brazilian activism in shaping modernity in Brazil. Sótenos holds a master’s degree in social history and a bachelor’s degree in history from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). His master’s dissertation received an Honorable Mention in the Ana Lugão Rios Award for Best Master’s Dissertation (2013). He has also served as a visiting researcher at Brown University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), where he broadened his expertise in Afro-diasporic studies. With over two decades of teaching experience, Sótenos is committed to fostering inclusive, rights-based education. He is an advocate for equity, human rights, and social justice, combining academic research with practical initiatives. As a consultant, he has successfully secured funding for political organizations that champion these causes. A co-author of História Escrita, História Vivida (Lamparina Editora, 2019), Sótenos has contributed to understanding Brazil’s military dictatorship and the role of social movements in preserving memory. His dedication to scholarship and advocacy reflects his commitment to expanding knowledge and creating a more inclusive and equitable future.