What are the deep, foundational philosophies that have undergirded the creation of Black art and fueled Black activism? In this very special episode of Left of Black, famed luminary of our time, author, poet and Third World Press founder Haki Madhubuti, sits down with host and Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal to unpack Madhubuti’s […]
Over the years, has the Black Press been disproportionately focused on sexual scandal in the Black community over “real news”? Or was it a vehicle for sexual expression and empowerment? Join Left of Black host and Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal as he speaks with Purdue University Professor of History Kim Gallon to discuss […]
What is the legacy of the Nation of Islam in the struggle for Black equality? The narratives we use to help us look back at the past to celebrate our triumphs over Jim Crow seem to fall short of remembering all that the Nation of Islam did to help lay the foundation. In this episode […]
The 2010 Census indicates that more than 70% of African American women are unmarried. The statistics are telling us a disparaging narrative of the decline of Black marriage felt most acutely by Black women. But how does this reality line up with the depictions of Black love & marriage in popular culture? From the novels […]
Soul music–– say it and it has different meanings to different people. It originated from within the African American community leading up to and during the Civil Rights Era. So, was the music of such icons as Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, Minnie Ripperton, and many others not only meant as entertainment but also […]
Reparations – a long contested topic that has recently gotten a resurgence in our public discourse as our nation grapples with the ongoing legacy of white supremacy and systemic racism. More scholars and activists are making the case for the necessity of reparations, not just for reconciliation from the evils of American slavery and Jim […]
Black bodies have long been associated with death and the site for racial trauma induced by systemic oppression. But how can we unfetter our imagination on how we view the Black body, which ultimately impacts how we all view ourselves? Duke alumnus Mikael Owunna, a queer Nigerian-Swedish American multimedia artist and engineer based in Pittsburgh, […]
The HIV/AIDS epidemic impacts the entire nation but most especially those communities already vulnerable to social injustice– the African American community. As with COVID-19, the disparities felt by Black & brown communities due to systemic racism are exacerbated when a global virus threatens everyone’s health, calling attention to the precocity of marginalized groups. But what […]
How does satire and the use of caricature change when depicting theories, and ugliness, of Black life and the inherent injustices therein? How does satire and the use of caricature change when depicting theories, and ugliness, of Black life and the inherent injustices therein? How far can Black artists go to point out the absurd […]
Who were your favorite fictional characters growing up and how were the boundaries of your imagination set as a child? Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas joined Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal to delve into the booming field of young adult speculative fiction and how Black characters have been written into contemporary literature through her […]