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):
➤ Existentialism in Black diaspora • Race and identity • Racism and power • Masculinity and violence • Philosophy and literature • Cultural resistance • Collective liberationThis podcast, titled "Black Existentialism," delves into a significant mid-century intellectual movement by examining the works and ideas of Black Atlantic thinkers. At its core, the podcast explores Frantz Fanon's seminal work, "Black Skin, White Masks," which serves as a pivotal text within Black existential discourse. The episodes broadly focus on existentialism's engagement with the ambiguities and complexities of lived experiences among Black thinkers across the diaspora.
Throughout the episodes, listeners can expect discussions on various themes such as masculinity, race, violence, and the impact of Black cultural expression. The podcast considers how existentialist ideas surface in literature, philosophy, film, and other cultural productions. Key figures like Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and W.E.B. Du Bois are analyzed for their contributions to the dialogue on identity, visibility, and Black subjectivity.
The series also touches on the intersection of antiblackness with cultural and societal structures, considering the role of language, colonialism, and the potential for revolutionary transformation. Episodes delve into the philosophical considerations of freedom, responsibility, and liberation, often grounded in the existential idea of confronting and negating oppressive systems to attain authentic self-transformation.
Additionally, the podcast explores themes of despair, pessimism, and the possibility of joy within the context of Black life. Listeners will find a deep engagement with how Black existentialism critiques and extends traditional existentialism by highlighting the distinct experiences and philosophical contributions of Black thinkers in contesting and reimagining the terms of human identity and collective liberation.
