African American Studies at Princeton University

In this powerful special edition of the AAS Podcast , host Tera Hunter —Chair of Princeton's Department of African American Studies—leads an urgent and reflective Juneteenth conversation with distinguished scholars Joshua Guild and Khalil Gibran Muhammad . Together, they explore the deep historical roots and contemporary significance of Juneteenth, not merely as a commemoration of emancipation, bu...

  Housing justice isn't just about where we live—it's about power, equity, and the future of our communities. In this episode, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, and Majora Carter , real estate developer, urban revitalization strategist, and MacArthur Fellow, examine the systemic racism baked into housing policies and the economic...

In this episode of the African American Studies podcast, host Justice Wilhoit engages in a critical conversation with Professors Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. and Marcus Lee about the current political landscape, particularly focusing on the implications of the 2020 election, the presidency of Joe Biden, and the role of Kamala Harris. The discussion also delves into intra-party dynamics within the Democrat...

How do we look at, and respond to, work by Black contemporary artists? In this episode, we sat down with Tina Campt, Visiting Professor in Art & Archaeology and the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton. We trace the arc of Prof. Campt's career, from her earlier research on family photography in the African diaspora and how one can "listen to images," all the way to her current writing and recent...

Princeton AAS Podcast S2 E07 A Painter's Eye In this episode, we sit down with the legendary historian and artist Nell Painter to discuss her career and its connections to Black Studies. From reckoning with historical figures as individuals, to her life and work at Princeton, to her own works-in-progress, this podcast has something for everyone. Our hosts dive deep into Painter's legacy and the le...

On this podcast, we have addressed different dimensions of scientific racism from COVID-19 disparity data to the uses of human remains in anthropology. The Culture of... Jacque Smith and Cassie Spodak, " Black or 'Other'? Doctors may be relying on race to make decisions about your health ," CNN , June 7, 2021 Ezra Turner, " MOVE Bombing Remains Scandal Shows Enduring Racism in Anthropology, " Teen...

Two events in 1921—more than a thousand miles apart—had a profound impact on African American history: the production of the all-Black musical Shuffle Along and the Tulsa race massacre. A century on, an online workshop held at Princeton, Reactivating Memory , sought to explore the relationship between these seemingly disparate events and consider their legacy in Black life today. Our host Mélena L...

Princeton AAS Podcast S2 E04 University Reckonings Over the past decade, historians have probed the relationship between higher education and slavery through innovative public-facing projects that raise important questions. What role have academic institutions played in perpetuating racial inequality? How are scholars and students today working to hold universities accountable for past and present...

When we talk about Juneteenth, sometimes called America's second Independence Day, what exactly are we talking about? How has the end of slavery been celebrated across time in Black communities? What political obligations does its commemoration bring to the fore? Join our hosts, Ebun Ajayi and Mélena Laudig, as they talk with Professor Joshua B. Guild about the past, present, and future of Junetee...

Our second episode looks at the culture and politics of Black foodways, from the ways in which Black women have used food to create traditions and claim power to the contemporary politics of nutrition, stereotypes, and food shaming. Beyond the platitude that food unites us all, Ebun Ajayi and Mélena Laudig explore the diversity of ways in which food is a site where identities are constructed and c...

In our inaugural new episode, Ebun and Mae take a deep dive into questions about the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. From cultural responses to lockdown and the need for a government response to creating a more just and inclusive public health system, our host break down multiple dimensions of the pandemic and point toward some resources to learn more. Introduction Centers for Disease...

Recent Certificate recipient, Heath Pearson , Ph. D. sits down with American Jazz Trumpeter, Christian Scott , to discuss his inspirations, his creative process, and the importance of musically challenging himself. Christian, also known as Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah , is an architect of concepts. His signature Stretch Music, a genre-blind form, allows him to create sonic landscapes across multi...

Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. sits down with Assistant Professor Autumn Womack to explore the process of developing a book. Professor Womack sheds light on the power of the archive, the importance of honing in on your ideas, and insights on organizing your ideas for manuscript. We then join Professor Joshua Guild in conversation with activist and author Albert Woodfox. His book, Solitary, follows his...

Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. and Professor Imani Perry look back and reflect on the events of August 2019. Together, they examine the New York Times 1619 Project; its impact, backlash, and the questions it raises. Perry also shares insights on the writing style of her newly released book,  Breathe: A Letter to My Sons.  She speaks on   the influence of Toni Morrison's literary legacy and what inspir...

In this episode, Prof. Eddie Glaude discusses with Professor Anna Arabindan-Kesson her application of research on textiles, music, and photography for her upcoming work Black Bodies White Gold. Professor Kesson, an Art Historian at heart, reveals the history and connections of blacks and cotton and their turbulent history across America and Europe. Not only does she examine the economic equivalenc...

In this episode, Eddie Glaude sits down with Professor Wendy Belcher to discuss her recent book.   Prof. Belcher reveals her connection to Ethiopia, and how her life experiences of growing up white in Africa seep through her perspective and understanding. Professor Belcher explains how her curiosity pushed her to research, archive, and translation ancient Ethiopian writing; becoming the foundation...

As we step into 2019, Professor Eddie Glaude, Jr. and Associate Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor discuss and review the political climate of America. Prof. Taylor points out the importance of continuing to organize and mobilize social activism, like Black Lives Matter, with the understanding that a single objective is more significant than the different political views. Dr. Glaude highlights the...

In this episode of the AAS 21 Podcast, Professor Kinohi Nishikawa comes to the table with Professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. to discuss black pulp fiction, and taking seriously "lower" forms of literature in the college classroom, and beyond. Nishikawa's forthcoming book, Street Players: Black Pulp Fiction and the Making of a Literary Underground is expected out November 2018 (University of Chicago Pre...

In this episode of the AAS 21 podcast, Professor Ruha Benjamin and Professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. discuss science and technology, the allure of objectivity related to this category of work, and consider what it takes to proceed in a "third" way. Professor Benjamin is author of People's Science: Bodies and Rights on the Stem Cell Frontier (Stanford University Press 2013), Race After Technology, with...

Professor Joshua Guild joins the conversation in this episode of the AAS 21 Podcast. Professor Guild is an associate professor of History and African American Studies at Princeton specializing in twentieth-century African American social and cultural history, urban history, and the making of the modern African diaspora. Professor Guild discussed two works,  In the Shadows of the Metropolis: Cultur...

In this episode of the AAS 21 podcast, Professor Glaude speaks with new colleague Autumn Womack about several projects she has in the works. Womack joined the faculty at Princeton this year as an assistant professor in departments of African American Studies and English. Womack specializes in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century African American literature, with a particular research and teachi...

The AAS 21 Podcast is back for the first podcast of the 2017-2018 academic year. Professor Glaude speaks to his colleague, Reena N. Goldthree, about her current research into nationalism, migration and gender in Latin America and the Caribbean. Professor Goldthree is the new specialist of Afro-Atlantic histories in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton. Goldthree's forthcoming bo...

In this episode, Professor Glaude and Professor Judith Weisenfeld discuss the development of 'religio–racial' identity during the Great Migration. Weisenfeld is the Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Her latest book,  New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity during the Great Migration  is a historiography of twentieth-century black religi...

What was marriage under slavery? Professor Tera W. Hunter's new book, Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in the Nineteenth Century provides an intimate glimpse of the affections and complexities of black marriage in the United States from its origins. In an illuminating conversation, Professor Tera Hunter and Professor Eddie Glaude discuss major takeaways from the book, key language i...

In episode six of AAS 21 podcast, Professor Glaude is joined by teacher and friend of 30 years, Dr. Cornel West. When it comes to habits of reading, West tells of staying in contact with the best of the past, feeling incomplete if he doesn't accomplish his nightly three hours of study. West considers artists as the vanguard of the species, and more than enjoying great literature and writing as a s...