On Friday, March 7, 2014, I was a guest on Greg Rasheed's Soul Seekers "The Root and Roots" program on Blogtalk Radio. It was a lively conversation in anticipation of my lecture at the Library of Congress on Friday, March 14, 2014.

You can listen HERE!

Monday, March 3 at 6PM Eastern. JOIN US online!!

 
TODAY!!! 6pm Eastern. The kick-off event for the #SheDocs online film festival. American Masters | PBS and Women and Girls Lead present a special online screening of ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH. The filmmaker, Pratibha Parmar, and I will be online to interact with those watching along. Please spread the word!!! Anyone can join in live via http://bit.ly/1pGoRWh

Radio Interview: A Current Affair

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, I joined Karma Chavez on her radio program, A Public Affair.  The interview mostly centered on Living with Lynching but it was also part of their fundraising drive. They gave copies of my book for those who pledged $50 or more and issued challenges to create some healthy competition. I caught the spirit and issued a challenge of my own.

It was a great conversation and a great time! I'm happy to have discovered the community that supports this Madison, Wisconsin community radio station.

Listen to the entire show HERE.

Upcoming Events, February 2014

I will give a lecture at Texas Tech University on Thursday, February 20th. It is free and open to the public, and it will be preceded by a dramatic reading of a one-act lynching play by Texas Tech students.

On, Wednesday, February 26th, I will be the guest on A Public Affair, an hour-long community radio show based in Madison, Wisconsin on WORT 89.9FM. The insightful host is Karma Chavez, author of Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities. We will discuss Living with Lynching, Black History Month, racial violence, and discourses and practices of U.S. citizenship. Please tune in ONLINE if you're not in Madison. (The "Listen Live" link is at the top right of the show's webpage.)  AND, please feel free to CALL IN: 608- 256-2001. The show airs Noon to 1PM Central time, 1PM to 2PM Eastern time.

On Thursday, February 27th, I will give a lecture at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Though it is in the middle of the day—the college's common hour, from 11am to noon—it is free and open to the public. Please spread the word! It would be great to have people from outside of campus attend.

Feministing.com "Academic Feminist" Feature

On November 7, 2013, to coincide with the beginning of the 2013 conference of the National Women's Studies Association, Feministing.com featured my research and dubbed me an "Academic Feminist." The interview covers my book Living with Lynching as well as my theoretical approaches and social justice investments, and it offers a preview of my most recent essay, which draws parallels between lynching and anti-LGBT violence. I am grateful that Feministing and independent scholar Gwendolyn Beetham saw enough value in this work to highlight it and encourage more people to read the essay "Love in Action."  I think we can all benefit from grappling with these realities.

The Academic Feminist feature is HERE.

Radio Discussion on Trayvon Martin: Racial Violence & the Law

Late on Saturday, July 13, 2013, George Zimmerman was found "not guilty," despite taking the life of innocent teenager Trayvon Martin. That Monday, July 15, I agreed to join a radio discussion on Warren Olney's show To the Point, based in Santa Monica, California.  They titled the show The Zimmerman Verdict Divides a Nation, and the segment begins around 24:27.  For me, it was about how violence against marginalized people is excused in the very letter and spirit of the law. This is made especially clear when Americans feel justified in worrying more about what the supposed "intentions" are rather than caring about what the impact is.

Two More Interviews on First Lady Michelle Obama

Living with Lynching is a study of successful black families—families whose success inspired violence from white supremacists.  As I continue to examine the reception of successful black families, Michelle Obama has become an interesting figure.  I have had two more opportunities to discuss her in the public realm.  On Friday, January 25, 2013, I was a guest on Karamu with Dr. Richard Cooper, which airs on Philadelphia radio station 900 AM WURD.  

On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, I was part of an even more in-depth conversation on Minnesota Public Radio show The Daily Circuit.  I was honored to share the airwaves with a writer I have long admired, Tami Winfrey Harris.  

The Daily Circuit called this segment "How Michelle Obama Divides Feminists" and you can listen HERE.

Playwright Charles Smith on Black LIT Radio!

For December's Black LIT Radio, Hopeton and I had a conversation about Amiri Baraka's 1964 play Dutchman. For January, we are continuing the focus on black drama. I interviewed playwright Charles Smith about his latest work, Knock Me a Kiss, which opens in Houston this weekend and will be in Fort Worth in May. The pre-recorded interview will air MONDAY, January 28th at 8 AM Central, 9 AM Eastern on Austin's KAZI-FM 88.7 as part of KAZI Book Review with Hopeton Hay. Those outside of Austin can listen live online at kazifm.org (click the microphone on left side of page) or through the TuneIn Radio app on iPhone or Droid phones. When the podcast is available, I will share it.

Interviewed about First Lady Michelle Obama

The research for Living with Lynching taught me that mobs most often targeted successful black men, not criminals.  The study also examines how survivors, including wives and children, coped.  Thus, the book is very much focused on successful black families.

My next book project continues this focus while investigating black cultural production from slavery to the Age of Michelle Obama.  I was therefore pleased to contribute to the January 18, 2013 Washington Post story, “Four Years Later, Feminists Split by Michelle Obama’s ‘Work’ as First Lady ”

On Inauguration Day, January 21, 2013, the conversation was continued on KCRW's To the Point, a live radio show hosted by Warren Olney in Santa Monica, California.  The “Reporters Notebook” segment on Michelle Obama begins at 42:00 in the podcast.  Listen on-demand HERE.

Radio Interview Available for On-Demand Listening

Here is the listen-on-demand link for my KGNU 88.5 FM conversation with Greg Rasheed about Living with Lynching and Django Unchained.  Conversation was on Tuesday, January 15, 2013.

Radio Interview (Live Call-In Show)

TODAY, January 15, 2013 at 5PM EST:  Please tune in to KGNU 88.5 FM of Boulder, CO 5pm Eastern time/3pm Mountain. I will be interviewed by Greg Rasheed about issues raised by Django Unchained and about Living with Lynching.  You can listen live online (http://bit.ly/V3tDky) and CALL IN via 303-442-4242.  The show will be posted on KGNU.org for on-demand listening later.

Tayari Jones Interview Airing Again!

My interview with the lively Tayari Jones will re-air Monday, January 7th and Wednesday, January 9th, becoming available for on-demand listening shortly thereafter.  This presentation is made possible by cooperation between KAZI Book Review with Hopeton Hay, the home of Black LIT Radio, and Writers Talk at Ohio State. 

Monday (1/7) at 7 PM Eastern on WCRS radio, 98.3 & 102.1 FM, or listen online via http://bit.ly/Sgun4R

Wednesday (1/9) at 8 PM Eastern on WCBE radio, 90.5 FM, or listen online via http://bit.ly/WF97kO

For more on KAZI Book Review, visit http://on.fb.me/UEdz4R
For more on Writers Talk, visit www.writerstalk.org

Scholarly Work & Community Activities Featured

ASCENT magazine, published by the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio State University, interviewed me about my book.  I had a lovely conversation with communications professional Victoria Ellwood, and we talked about all kinds of things.  I had no idea what she would write, but I could not be more pleased with the outcome!  She really captured the link between my scholarly work and my community efforts to encourage women to become and remain physically active.  I will always cherish this story!  I'm sure you'll enjoy "Making Strides" too!

The picture above, which you'll also see in "Making Strides," is from the 2012 Capital City Half Marathon.  It is an absolutely wonderful event, and participants can choose to walk or run 13.1 miles (half marathon), 6.55 miles (quarter marathon), or 3.1 miles (5K).  I'm so excited in this picture because the founders of Black Girls RUN! made this race a national meet-up in 2012, so we had more than 160 women registered with our team.  Wherever you are, consider coming to Columbus the first weekend of May for this fabulous event!

Besides running the Capital City Half Marathon again in 2013, I'm running a half marathon on January 27th and devoting the effort to charity.  Please visit my site, consider donating, and SHARE the link!  http://bit.ly/YnCE8f 

Again, thank you for being on this journey with me!

Tayari Jones on Black LIT Radio!

Tomorrow, Monday 11/26/2012, KAZI Book Review with Hopeton Hay will air the Black LIT Radio interview with Tayari Jones.  The discussion focuses on her novel Silver Sparrow, which is now available in paperback and audio book.  The segment will begin after the news at 8 AM Central, 9 AM Eastern on Austin's KAZI-FM 88.7.  Those outside of Austin can listen live online at kazifm.org (click the microphone on left side of page) or through the TuneIn Radio app on iPhone or Droid phones. An iTunes podcast will be available shortly thereafter, which I'll share.

If you listen at some point, let me know what you think!

Black LIT Radio, Segment #1

As promised, you can listen to the radio segment online and on-demand.  I expect that these will get better and better.  Listen to segment #1 on Nella Larsen's Passing (1929) by going HERE and please let me know what you think!

UPDATE: Atlanta Radio Interview

Lorraine Jacques-White's Power Talk radio show will also interview Atlanta's mayor on Wednesday, July 25th, so my appearance has been moved to 6:30 AM.  For details and another link for listening live, please visit
http://zdennis.fanbridge.com/campaigns/campaign_body.php?id=882126&sid=142751935

The details about the evening lecture are the same as related in the earlier post.

Atlanta Lecture & Radio Interview

On Wednesday, July 25, 2012, I will lecture in Atlanta at 6:30 PM at the Cyclorama & Civil War Museum.  Early that morning, I will be interviewed live on talk radio, around 7:30am on WAOK- 1380 AM (CBS Radio). Even if you're not in Atlanta, you can listen live online at http://cbsloc.al/QoJJkS (Just click the "Listen Live" button on the right) or through the TuneIn Radio app on iPhone or Droid phones. 

For details on the evening lecture, please see http://bit.ly/MBXgVq  OR, for those on facebook, please see http://on.fb.me/QoSY4v

Many thanks to everyone who has been sending positive energy and support as this journey continues!

Interviewed by Vershawn Young

A new interview about Living with Lynching is now part of the New Books in African American Studies podcast series!  The audio series is hosted by Vershawn Young, who edited that fabulous essay collection Bourgeois to Boojie, which contains provocative chapters by Houston Baker, Amiri Baraka, Greg Tate, Dwight McBride, Lisa B. Thompson, and many others.  


It was a lively conversation in which I discussed what inspired the project, why I take issue with another scholar's declaration that African American literature ended, and why I believe that lynching plays do not depict physical violence.  I also talked about the importance of debate in black communities and about why scholars have gone astray by assuming that black drama did not keep pace with African American poetry and fiction.  


Listen to the interview here. 


For more on the interview series, see http://newbooksinafroamstudies.com/
For more on Vershawn Young's book Bourgeois to Boojie, click here. 

Interviewed on Austin Radio Show

,

I was interviewed by Hopeton Hay, producer and host of KAZI Book Review, which airs on KAZI 88.7 FM in Austin, Texas. Our lively conversation will broadcast on Monday, June 11, 2012 at approximately 7:03 AM Central time. Those outside of Austin can listen live online at kazifm.org (click the microphone on left side of page) or through the TuneIn Radio app on iPhone or Droid phones. (Remember, this would be 8:03 AM Eastern.)

For more about the show, including on-demand listening to archived interviews, visit www.kazibookreview.wordpress.com

Interviewed by ColorLines Magazine

Short piece on Trayvon Martin case, the racial violence examined in Living with Lynching, and the importance of community conversation.
http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/03/koritha_mitchell_living_with_lynching.html

ColorLines is a publication of the Applied Research Center (http://www.arc.org/)