Black Scholars Research Articles

Interview with John Baugh

The following interview was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2021. By that time, I had known John Baugh for about eighteen years after having taken my first class on Black English with him at Stanford. I have always been fascinated by John’s ability to merge innovative and culturally relevant, justice-focused research with liberatory outcomes for Black people and Black language. It was a rare treat for me to talk with my long-time mentor now as a faculty member. In the wake of finally having a critical mass of Black scholars in linguistics and after George Floyd’s murder and a new push to decolonize linguistics, it only seemed fitting to hear the experiences that shaped John’s life, the life of a Black man in linguistics, and how that life has given rise to his groundbreaking scholarship. There is nothing linear about his path. And as the field pushes to admit more Black graduate students and hire more Black faculty, it dawned on me that many in the field might not recognize the exceptional journey of navigating academia as a Black person. Please enjoy this candid snapshot of the life that birthed such a storied career from the upcoming president of the Linguistic Society of America: a unique opportunity to learn how to do better. Consider this a one-time invitation to the cookout.

Distinctive African Readings of the Old Testament: A Review of D.T. Adamo's Publications in Old Testament Essays 2003-2020

Professor David Tuesday Adamo has published widely in various journals, and his contribution to Old Testament scholarship in Africa cannot be underestimated. This article focuses on his publications in Old Testament Essays since 2003. Adamo has been one of the loyal African contributors to our journal and is the first black African Old Testament scholar in Africa to be honoured in this way in this journal. Therefore, this article reviews Adamo's contributions over the years, particularly focusing on the distinctive readings of the Old Testament that he brought to Old Testament Essays through his publications.

Spoiled Apples: A Letter to White Scholars Eager to “Adopt” Black Scholars

Spoiled Apples: A Letter to White Scholars Eager to “Adopt” Black Scholars

Historical racial exclusion from board membership at the Southern Economic Association, Western Economic Association International, Midwest Economics Association, and Eastern Economic Association and their affiliated journals

AbstractThis research observes the dearth of Black economists who have ever held positions in the leadership of the Eastern Economic Association, the Southern Economic Association, the Midwest Economics Association, or the Western Economic Association International. It also records the number of Black economists to ever hold positions of editor or be members of the editorial boards of the Eastern Economic Journal, the Southern Economic Journal, Contemporary Economic Policy, the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, or Economic Inquiry. Since the creation of the four regional economic associations and their affiliated journals until 2020, the authors estimate that there were over 6800 board positions available. To date, only 17 have ever been filled by Black scholars.

Racialization of Knowledge: How the Marginalization of Black History and Knowledges Fosters a Lack of Racial Literacy among Teacher Candidates

This paper examines the practice within universities of restricting the number of courses focussing on Black/African-Canadian history and ‘Blackness’, in the context of teacher education programs, and the implications for the unawareness of racial literacy among teacher candidates. The lack of such courses at select universities in Western Canada is discussed, as are the consequences for teacher candidates. Teacher education programs can address the systemic gaps in Black history courses and Black knowledge systems and better serve the interests of students by, offering courses that centers Black worldviews and hire Black scholars to foster a more equitable learning environment.

Post Slavery and the Plight of Black Americans: An Analysis of Langston Hughes’ “Not without Laughter”

This paper discussed the lives of black Americans in the Post Slavery period. It was believed that black Americans who were former slaves were then free from being treated brutally by the slave masters and that the whipping of the so called offenders was a thing of the past. On the contrary, Black Americans were not free to receive education, have access to legal marriages, own properties and enjoy all other benefits that an American should enjoy. Life after slavery was still difficult. The reality was that black Americans were free only in a narrow sense as they were still discriminated by the government institutions. This gave rise to activism and movements such as Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement. Great Black scholars, The Talented Tenth, such as Alice Walker, Du Bois, and Langston Hughes emerged. Not without Laughter is one of the books that Langston Hughes wrote. This paper is an analysis of civil injustices that Black Americans had to endure according to Hughes in Not without Laughter. Today, the situation has not changed much as racism is still rampant as depicted by violence still perpetrated against the Blacks. The rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement worldwide against the death of Floyd in the USA gives evidence to such. One encouraging aspect, though, is that the current President, Joe Biden is against racism as he has ordered that those that killed Floyd should face the full wrath of the law.

Attachment perspectives on race, prejudice, and anti-racism

ABSTRACT Central to attachment theory is the idea that behavior in close relationships can best be understood in context. Although decades of research have illuminated cross-cultural patterns of caregiving and attachment, there remains a critical need to increase research with African American families, examine the specific sociocultural context of systemic anti-Black racism, and integrate the rich theory and research of Black scholars. The goal of this special issue is to bring together attachment researchers and scholars studying Black youth and families to leverage and extend attachment-related work to advance anti-racist perspectives in developmental science. The papers in this special issue, highlighted in the introduction, illuminate pathways of risk and resilience in Black children, adolescents, and families and point to the protective power of relationships (and the limits of such protection) for mental and physical health. We highlight critical questions to guide ongoing dialogue and collaboration on this important topic.

Centering unacknowledged histories: revisiting NABSW demands to repeal ASFA

ABSTRACT The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 has now been actively implemented in the United States for 24 years and remains largely unchanged from its initial conception. Initial critiques of ASFA included questions around the ethics of its requirements and the efficiency of its proposed goals. Subsequent to the original adoption of ASFA into legislation, the National Association of Black Social Workers published a statement calling for its repeal due to the dire consequences experienced by Black communities. Although Black scholars and organizers continue to fight for the end of family separation, the call to repeal ASFA has garnered little attention from policymakers and child welfare researchers. This brief commentary reacquaints scholars with discussions around ASFA, highlighting the implications for Black communities and reiterating the importance of centering Black voices given recent calls for anti-racist practice, pedagogy, and research.

‘The heaviest thing for me is being seen as aggressive’: the adverse impact of racial microaggressions on Black male undergraduates’ mental health

ABSTRACT This phenomenological study explores Black male students’ lived experiences with racial microaggressions and the subsequent perceptions of their mental health while attending a predominately white institution (PWI). Data is collected through a focus group and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 Black male participants from a northeastern public university. The mendacity of systemic racism in juxtaposition to the intersectional identities of Black male students is analyzed from a Critical Race Theory framework. With the findings, I bring attention to Black masculinity and argue that daily encounters with microaggressions impact the mental health of Black male college students. Due to the construct of gendered racism, I argue for culturally responsive mental health care to support the emotional health and well-being of Black male scholars at PWIs. The objective of this article is to recognize the resilience and vulnerabilities of Black men while honoring their voices as they persist to pursue academic excellence.

Review: Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present

Review: <i>Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present</i>

David A. Varel, The Lost Black Scholar: Resurrecting Allison Davis in American Social Thought. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018. Pp. 304. $45.00 (cloth); $30.00 (paper).

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsDavid A. Varel, The Lost Black Scholar: Resurrecting Allison Davis in American Social Thought. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018. Pp. 304. $45.00 (cloth); $30.00 (paper).David CantonDavid CantonConnecticut College (USA) Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of African American History Volume 106, Number 4Fall 2021Reconceptualizing the History of Black Internationalism A journal of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/716267 Views: 19Total views on this site For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Propositions for Race-Based Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract A nuanced understanding of disparities impacting racialized people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) requires scholars employ research methods that make visible the structural factors that influence outcomes. Following the work of Tukufu Zuberi and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, we explore race-based methodological considerations for disparities research with Black people with IDD. Specifically, we discuss (a) structural racism in research methods, employing disability critical race theory as a framework, (b) the absence of Black voices and Black scholarship, (c) the abstraction and misuse of race as a variable, and (d) mapping race as a point of discussion in the IDD discourse. Implications for research are discussed and recommendations for contextualizing race, ensuring equity in representation and dissemination, and amplifying the voices of Black scholars are provided.

Afterword: Witness to the archive

ABSTRACT This afterword uses the work of artist Patricia Kaersenhout and Black feminist scholars to reflect on the implications of working with colonial archives and their forms of erasure.

“To Their Benefit”: Tracing (Pp)an-Africanism Through Nonformal Black Educational Space

Drawing from the histories of nonformal Black education, (Pp)an-Africanist scholarship, and critical qualitative research, this participatory ethnographic study documents an organic conception of public space where Black people, many of whom have been disaffected by traditional public schools, come to teach and learn with each other. The article outlines the contours of nonformal Black education by examining the shifting traditions of (Pp)an-Africanism in the U.S. This historical tracing sets the context for the study, which documents a current iteration of nonformal pan-African education highlighting several findings that illuminate the iterative nature of nonformal Black political education and the scalar reverberations of local and international politics. Major findings include: (1) (Pp)an-African education is structured by interpersonal and institutional reverberations across place and time; (2) the unsanctioned nature of (Pp)an-African educational spaces are key to how people experience and make meaning regarding Black liberation movements. The significance of these findings is most notable in their reconceptualization of public space and public education.

Feminine Frequencies

This article recounts a critical conversation between two Black British sound women, conducted by a Black British female scholar. Together DJ Ade and Junie Rankin (real names Lynda Rosenior-Patten and June Reid) form Nzinga Soundz, one of the UK’s longest running, all-women sound systems. Thali Lotus owns and runs CAYA Sound System, established and built in 2016 with the aim of promoting reggae music as an educational, charitable, entertaining and entrepreneurial tool. Resulting from an extensive double interview conducted by Dr Monique Charles, leading scholar on grime and Black Atlantic performances, the piece offers an insight into issues of race, gender, knowledge transmission and use of technology as reflected in the work of two female reggae outputs. Combining the critical insight of a scholar with the self-reflection and self-articulation of music practitioners, the article explores the way in which the practice of reggae sound systems is constantly rearticulated as a work of art, business enterprise and tool of empowerment for oneself and the wider community in the British context.

Black Transhuman Liberation Theology: Technology and Spirituality

Black Transhuman Liberation Theology: Technology and Spirituality

Can the Female Black Scholar Speak Out in a Noncooperative Space?

We explore how black female intellectual activists cope in a ‘noncooperative space’ while seeking racial equality. Our analysis adopts and extends the concept of ‘noncooperative space’ as an organi...

When the Black lives that matter are not our own: digital Black feminism and a dialectic of self and community

ABSTRACT Black women and Black feminist scholars have always pointed out the hypocrisy of advocating for civil rights and freedoms that do not extend to them. However, with the rise of digital culture and tools as the primary space and mechanism whereby Black feminists crafted arguments, a new urgency has emerged within Black feminist writing online, advocating for a dialectic of self and community interests. Black feminist writers have created a new rhetorical principle central to the #BlackLiveMatter movement, which began in the blogosphere with longform writing and enclaved communities. Before the hashtag or activism on Twitter or Instagram, the blogosphere provided a space for Black women to craft new arguments that centralized Black cis and trans women in the fight for justice. Black feminist writers insist that caring for themselves is integral to Black feminist praxis and social justice. Retracing this work from the blogosphere to social media reminds us of the importance of centralizing Black women in our discussion of digital culture and activism and the lessons this may provide in crafting a more just future.

The American Politics of French Theory: Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari, and Foucault in Translation

The American Politics of French Theory: Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari, and Foucault in Translation

Benjamin Drew and Samuel Gridley Howe on Race Relations in Early Ontario: Mythologizing and Debunking Canada West’s “Moral Superiority”

This essay examines the respective mythologizing and debunking of Canada’s “moral superiority” over the United States on matters of white-Black race relations in Benjamin Drew’s 1856 The Refugee: or the Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada and Samuel Gridley Howe’s 1864 The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West. Their accounts of the impact of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and American Civil War on Canadian and American political reputations are instructive. The historical presence of Black people in the making of Ontario’s history and its relationship to American ante-bellum history helps to understand in part from where the superiority myth originates. The impact of the American Civil War on the making of Canada as a political entity has been studied by historians but its cultural force is less studied, particularly in literary studies. The relative absence of such knowledge seems part and parcel of the negative definition of Canada as not-American, indeed anti-American, and has helped to continue the mythology of Canada’s moral superiority over the US on matters of white-Black relations. Drew’s and Howe’s work on the substantial presence of Black settlers in early Ontario has been invaluable for the study of both the diaspora and settlement of Black freedom seekers in Upper Canada/Canada West in the antebellum period. Analysis of the rhetoric of national differences on racism in Drew’s The Refugee (1856) and Howe’s The Refugees (1864), particularly on education and law, counters, as does a wealth of scholarship by Black scholars, the myth of Canada’s racial benevolence.