She was an architect of the civil-rights struggle—and the woman's movement. Why haven't you heard of her? Kathryn Schultz's recent New Yorker article on "The Many Lives of Pauli Murray" introduced me to Pauli Murray, a largely invisible woman who made a big impact. "This was Murray’s lifelong fate: to be both ahead of her time and behind the scenes." She was ahead of her … [Read more...]
On Passing, Laboring, and “No More a Roving”
Nella Larsen's Passing ushers you into the world of an affluent, upper middle class, African American family that enjoys the luxuries of servants and elegant, fancy dress parties. Yet danger and threats of violence lurk even in this comfortable setting. The 1929 ad for the novel (left) highlights the threat of violent reprisals for light-skinned African Americans who dared to … [Read more...]
Get Out & Double Consciousness
Alissa Wilkinson, reviewing Jordan Peele's new horror film Get Out in Vox.com, says: Get Out is a movie about double consciousness, and it pulls off its goal with skill In the film’s final act, the racism subtext becomes text in a big way, which reveals what Get Out was after all along. The film taps into the phenomenon of double consciousness, which W.E.B. Du Bois wrote … [Read more...]
Seeing beyond Stereotypes
Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie, who some of you will remember from her novel, Americana, which was the first year orientation book for 2015, is famous for her powerful TED talk on "The Danger of a Single Story." Adichie discusses the power of storytelling—and the necessity of multiple stories—in order to dispel stereotypes: We've been reading articles, stories, and poems from … [Read more...]