Please join the St. John’s University English department in welcoming Dr. Racquel Gates, assistant professor of media culture at the College of Staten Island.
In Dr. Gates’ own words:
What can Katt Williams, Chris Rock, Barack Obama, and Flavor Flav teach us about blackness in the contemporary moment? In my talk, “Negativity and the Black Popular Image,” I will examine how ideas about “positive” and “negative” representations manifest themselves on the aesthetic, cultural, and political levels, and explore how these designations operate in seemingly “colorblind” discussions about taste and politics. Further, I will argue that there is social and cultural value in embracing the idea of “negativity” as a tool for dismantling racism, sexism, and other forms of structural oppression.
The event will take place in D’angelo Center room 410 during common hour, and interested parties are encouraged to RSVP via Eventbrite!
Leave a Reply