Overview
The Institute for Humane Studies is inviting applications to “Information, Narratives, and Race,” an online discussion series. This series will focus on the importance of both the flow of information and the construction of social and historical narratives, specifically as it relates to racialized politics in America. From the early days of Atlantic-wide slavery, marginalized and enslaved peoples have relied on their acute abilities to transmit information unnoticed by the enslavers; yet in modern times, information has been weaponized in entirely different ways. Through this series of discussion panels, faculty and graduate students will probe the intersections of information and race in America to better understand the origins of racialized political polarization, the ideological divisions within and between constructed racial groups, and chart a path forward for synthesis.
Please note that participants are expected to acquire their own readings and will receive an honorarium of $125, plus a $30 book stipend per session.
Reading List & Schedule
Discussions take place on the last Tuesday of each month, from May to August, at 2–4 PM Eastern Time.
May 30 – Blackness and Freedom
- Lindsey Stewart, ed. “The Politics of Black Joy: Zora Neale Hurston and Neo-Abolitionism.” Northwestern University Press. 2021.
June 27 – The Edges of Blackness: Ye, Conservatism, and Color
- Brandi Collins-Dexter. “Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future.” MacMillan. 2022.
July 25 – Race in the Age of “Alternative Facts”
- Flint, Michigan Water Crisis–News Articles and Government Documents:
- April 2014: https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2014/05/state_says_flint_river_water_m.html
- July 2015: http://flintwaterstudy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Muchmore-Lyon.pdf
- July 2015: https://www.michiganradio.org/health/2015-07-13/leaked-internal-memo-shows-federal-regulators-concerns-about-lead-in-flints-water#stream/0
- Leaked July 2015: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-11/documents/transmittal_of_final_redacted_report_to_mdeq.pdf
- September 2015: http://flintwaterstudy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Lead-Advisory-Release.pdf
- November 2018: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know
- July 2020: https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/health/repro/reports/clean-water-case-study-flint.html#:~:text=The%20water%20poisoning%20in%20Flint,the%20Flint%20River%20in%202014.
- What is Flint? Place, storytelling, and social media narrative reclamation during the Flint water crisis
- Kansas City Kidnapping “Rumors”
- September 2022: https://www.tiktok.com/@kansascitydefender/video/7147343546595413291
- September 2022: https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-serial-killer-rumor-kcpd-police-untrue/41390603
- October 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/16/missouri-woman-escapes-captivity
- October 2022: https://kansascitydefender.com/justice/black-woman-kidnapped-prospect-excelsior-springs-serial-killer/
August 29 – The Future of Being Black in America
- Andre Carrington. “Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction.” University of Minnesota Press. 2016.