What is Left of Black?

Black Studies for a Mobile Digital Network

Left of Black is the Webby Awards-nominated web series featuring interviews with Black Studies scholars and artists created and hosted by James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Anthony Neal.

The series is produced at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University.

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Winner of the Gold 2024 Davey Awards

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Dive into the Digital Archive

Season 13

Episode 2 | Filmmaker Byron Hurt on HAZING

The senseless violence that happens on America’s college campuses all in the name of joining a fraternity or sorority has left an indelible, traumatic mark on the victims of hazing….

portrait of African American woman whose hair look like aquamarine and green brush strokes of paint

Season 14

Episode 1 | Season 14 Premiere | Jasmine Nichole Cobb on the Art and Texture of Black Hair

What is the cultural significance of Black hair and how does it impact the way African Americans show up across all arenas of social life? And what are some art…

a brick building painted black with a circular hanging sign for Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Tea

Season 13

Episode 30 | Season 13 Finale with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Social commentator, activist, journalist, professor, and longtime friend Dr. Marc Lamont Hill joins host Prof. Mark Anthony Neal for the Season Finale of Left of Black’s thirteenth season. Dr. Hill…

two smiling African American college students in cap and gown

Season 13

Episode 29 | E. Patrick Johnson on the Future of Black Studies in the University

Long-time guest, Dr. E. Patrick Johnson, joins host Prof. Mark Anthony Neal to discuss the current and future face of Black Studies. Dr. Johnson serves as Dean of the School…

Season 13

Episode 28 | Dr. Stephen C. Finley on Farrakhan’s Mother Wheel in the Nation of Islam

Back in 1985, Nation of Islam’s leader, Louis Farrakhan, claimed to have a vision of entering into a mother wheel akin to appearance as what many would call a UFO….

seven African American congressmen in the 1870's

Season 13

Episode 27 | Thulani Davis on Networks of Freedom During Reconstruction

Newly freed formerly enslaved people were eager to build networks of learning, commerce, and politics during Reconstruction immediately following the American Civil War. Dr. Thulani Davis, a professor and a…