“Will I Die Before They Get To Know Me?” From J. Cole to Oscar Grant III “Will I live or will I die before they get to know me? If I go, I know the ones that’s pourin’ liquor for … Continue reading “"Will I Die Before They Get To Know Me?"”
Category:
The Decision
Khalilah Brown-DeanAs a scholar who is deeply intrigued by both the ingredients and political consequences of public opinion, I often gauge public sentiment by simply reading the status messages and posts of my friends on Facebook and Twitter. These social media … Continue reading “The Decision”
Old Wounds and New Pain
Khalil Gibran MuhammadThe past can be like an old wound that never heals, especially when the scab keeps being picked. In the wake of Oakland transit cop Johannes Mesherle’s recent involuntary manslaughter conviction for the on-duty shooting death of unarmed, 22-year-old Oscar … Continue reading “Old Wounds and New Pain”
Justice for Oscar Grant
R. LHeureux Lewis“Justice for Oscar Grant!” As I sit in front of these keys I know that I could have written this essay 100 times before and will likely need to write it 100 more times before I die, simply because I … Continue reading “Justice for Oscar Grant”
New from a Social Text Author: The Citizen Machine
Social Text CollectiveThe Citizen Machine: Governing by Television in 1950s America
by Anna McCarthy
Formed in the shadow of the early Cold War, amid the first stirrings of the civil rights movement, the idea of television as a form of unofficial government inspired corporate executives, foundation officers, and other members of the governing classes to imagine TV sponsorship as a powerful new form of influence on American democracy in the postwar years. The Citizen Machine tells the story of their efforts to shape U.S. political culture, uncovering a dense web of fantasies and rationalizations about race, class, and economic power that have profoundly shaped not only television, but our understanding of American citizenship itself.
World Cup 2010
Nikhil Pal Singh
In this dossier, a series of football enthusiasts (who also happen to be social and cultural critics), offer their reflections upon the meaning and significance of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Much commentary and controversy has already … Continue reading “World Cup 2010”
The World Cup in Pictures
Tavia Nyong'o
Soweto, South Africa – Fans on a train in Soccer City. Korogwe, Tanzania – Watching the Game. Maputo, Mozambique – City Streets. Lusaka, Zambia – Street Dancer. Johannesburg, South Africa – Standton City Mall Marionettes Quissico, Mozambique – Footballers and … Continue reading “The World Cup in Pictures”
Critiquing What We Love
ron krabill
In the run-up to the World Cup, countless advertisements from around the globe began to build the hype for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The vast majority of these ads – including some mentioned elsewhere in this dossier – … Continue reading “Critiquing What We Love”
The Pan-African Journey
mark sawyer
“…I can see that you are here in the millions and my last warning to you is that you are to stand firm behind us so that we can prove to the world that when the African is given a … Continue reading “The Pan-African Journey”
The Tragedy and Farce of French Football Politics
paul silverstein
There is something utterly farcical about the social drama that accompanied the French national soccer team’s decided under-performance at the World Cup in South Africa — what American soccer journalists comically dubbed le meltdown and French media, the “fiasco” … Continue reading “The Tragedy and Farce of French Football Politics”
A World Cup of a 'Special Type'
karam singh
There have been numerous milestones in South Africa’s journey from a pariah state characterized by the most brutal form of settler colonialism and white supremacy to a young democracy struggling to find its rightful place in a the post … Continue reading “A World Cup of a 'Special Type'”
Starry Eyed Black 'Bama
imani perry
Let me begin with this: I am a Bama: literally, from Alabama. Before I am an intellectual, a diasporic subject, a celebrator of transatlantic blacknesses who carefully sidesteps essentialism and embraces all of humanity, I am a Bama. Granted, these … Continue reading “Starry Eyed Black 'Bama”
Vuvuzela: A Loud, Blank Cipher
andrew ross
Locals who had hoped that the rest of the world would take away some useful knowledge about South Africa’s current affairs could hardly be faulted for cursing the existence of the vuvuzela. Zealous opinion about the ubiquitous plastic horns … Continue reading “Vuvuzela: A Loud, Blank Cipher”
Listening to the World Cup
jennifer doyle
With ESPN’s broadcast of the World Cup’s opening match, my fellow tweeters began to crack jokes about The Lion King. We imagined Rafiki calling the matches, or Mufasa, and half expected the referees to lift up the Jabulani to announce … Continue reading “Listening to the World Cup”
World Cup Soccer: Enjoyment and Identification
Eli Jelly-Schapiro
Football fans can be divided, somewhat crudely, into two categories: those attracted to the game for aesthetic gratification, and those whose fandom is rather driven by feelings of group solidarity. These categories are not mutually exclusive. A beautiful move acquires … Continue reading “World Cup Soccer: Enjoyment and Identification”