Anti-Blackness has been ingrained in the fabric of the United States since its pre-colonial emergence dating back over 400 years ago. Rooted in this history is today’s violent surveillance of Black bodies, with particular scrutiny and vulnerability falling on women-folk and members of the LGBTQ community. Scholarship which has sought to theorize Black vulnerability and resistance to premature death has been met with denunciation and characterizations like “woke”, “dangerous” and “divisive”. This has led to an attempted erasure of history and outright attacks on both Critical Race Theory and AP African American Studies. We are facing a swift backlash of epic proportions and resurgence of American-branded apartheid - a literal fight for our lives.
In Blackness in America, we aim to contribute to a long history of intellectual resistance to these issues, beyond the purview of Black History Month. Join Lang CESJ’s Faculty Forum Series in collaboration with New School faculty Rich Blint, Nadia Williams, and Mia White for an honest conversation around the trajectory of Blackness in American society in relation to politics, academia, and social justice. Food will be provided.