RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Podcasted process pieces from my course Black Existentialism. The course introduces one of the most important and potent mid-century intellectual movements - the existentialist movement - through a series of black Atlantic thinkers. Our keystone will be Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, which is arguably the most important work of Black existentialism from this period. Across the semester we will see why existentialism, with its focus on the ambiguities and ambivalences of lived-experience, had such a deep impact on Black thinkers across the diaspora. We will see these existentialist insights register in literature, philosophy, and film. Old and new.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Black existentialism and philosophy • Race, identity, and antiblackness • Masculinity and vulnerability • Cultural expression and resistance • Liberation, language, and colonialism • Literature and film interpretationsThis podcast delves into Black Existentialism, a mid-century intellectual movement that merges existentialist themes with the lived experiences and thought processes of Black figures across the diaspora. Framed around Frantz Fanon's seminal work "Black Skin, White Masks," the show seeks to explore the complexities and nuances of Black subjectivity under systemic oppression. Listeners are guided through discussions on how existentialist concepts—centered around ambiguity, ambivalence, and the essence of lived experience—shape and illuminate Black philosophical and cultural thought.
Episodes typically investigate the intersectionality of race, identity, and existential freedom, with an emphasis on literature, philosophy, and film. Themes of masculinity, violence, and vulnerability run through discussions of works by Barry Jenkins, Richard Wright, and Charles Burnett, shedding light on how race, power, and societal structures impact Black individuals. Further, the podcast delves into themes of antiblackness, invisibility, and the sociological construction of racial identity, drawing from sources such as Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and Aimé Césaire's writings on diaspora and colonization.
Another recurring topic is the role of language and culture in perpetuating racial hierarchies, as illustrated by discussions on Fanon's views on language and the colonial project. The show also engages with the idea of liberation and self-formation through confrontation and struggle, as inspired by Angela Davis and Sartre's existential perspectives on freedom and responsibility. Overall, this podcast offers a comprehensive analysis of Black Existentialism by examining its influence on cultural expressions, intellectual traditions, and political engagements, seeking to uncover paths toward radical transformation and liberation.
