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 • Racism and culture • Masculinity and identity • Literature and film analysis • Anti-blackness and resistance • Philosophical inquiries on freedom and subjectivityThis podcast, titled "Black Existentialism," offers an insightful exploration into the mid-century existentialist movement as viewed through the lens of Black Atlantic thinkers. Central to the series is Frantz Fanon's seminal work, "Black Skin, White Masks," which serves as a keystone for examining the influence of existentialism on Black thinkers across the diaspora. The podcast delves into how existentialist ideas about the ambiguities and ambivalences of lived experience intersect with profound themes of race, identity, and culture.
Throughout its episodes, the podcast addresses various intellectual and cultural subjects, ranging from discussions on masculinity and vulnerability in film, as evidenced by Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight," to the exploration of violence and respect in Richard Wright's literary works. Writings by influential figures such as Angela Davis, Ralph Ellison, Derek Walcott, Zora Neale Hurston, George Lamming, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Aimé Césaire also come under scrutiny, focusing on themes of liberation, identity, and cultural resistance. The portrayals of Black life and the struggle against antiblack racism often highlight concepts of visibility, invisibility, and the structural forces shaping racial identity.
A recurrent focus across these episodes is the existential dimension of racial experience: the intersection of the personal and the political, the tension between cultural heritage and imposed identities, and the search for an authentic self amidst systemic oppression. The podcast presents existentialism as a potent framework for understanding the realities of Black life and consciousness, urging a reconsideration of identity, resistance, and the potential for cultural and social transformation. Through these discussions, it invites listeners to engage with the intricacies of Black existential thought and its ongoing relevance in contemporary discourse.
