"The two primarily harmful colonial concepts of white and male superiority have managed to silence the voices of individuals across a variety of disciplines, especially those which operate primarily in post-colonial countries. Paleoanthropology is a field which has arguably the greatest need for immediate decolonization action because of its required existence within non-white countries and because of anthropology’s harmful history with imperialism. Recent efforts to decolonize and de-androcentrize paleoanthropology have not only made the field more inclusive and well-rounded, but have additionally increased scientific accessibility to the public, lessened the toxic practice of gatekeeping knowledge, and have allowed incredibly valuable, yet previously silenced, diverse voices and perspectives to elevate the field as a whole. Despite these efforts, there is a long way to go before true equality and justice is achieved within the field. My capstone seeks to identify these main contemporary issues within paleoanthropology, explore solutions to these issues, and determine what steps need to be made to create a more welcoming and effective field of study."