Philosopher (world), political thinker (world). Statements and messages made from this account reflect my views only, not UConn's & other institutions'.
#FrantzFanon
became an ancestor 60 years ago. It's strangely poignant that
#JuliusScott
, author of THE COMMON WIND, which won the Fanon Outstanding Book Award, joined him among the ancestors this morning.
Storming the Capitol Building is not a "privilege." It is LICENSE afforded a white insurrectionist mob under the shield of racism. One has the privilege of doing what is right; a license protects one from accountability for wrongful actions. White supremacy is a white license.
#FreedomJusticeDecolonization
: Because of my prolonged illness, I wasn't able to complete the edits for the September scheduled publication of this book. I'm happy to announce that it is now in print.
I'm pleased to announce that Darian Spearman defended his doctoral dissertation, "Myth, Meaning, and the Foundations for an Africana Philosophy of Myth," in front of an enthusiastic audience of 49 witnesses at UCONN. DwA nTr, Mazal tov, congratulations, Dr. Spearman!
On
#WhiteGuilt
: So much white guilt around these days. We should remember, however, that guilt without learning is pointless, and learning without action is empty.
Many sessions on this past week's workshop on Fanon & phenomenology had me thinking about this excellent article on decolonial and phenomenological reductions by Tom Meagher. Just click "show document" to read it.
As
#DuBois
argued, the double standards of American justice, saturated with racism, makes white people deputies of the state. That is why the 2nd Amendment is a sham. Only white people really have that right.
#PoliceViolence
against blacks versus whites bearing arms prove this.
#EpistemicRacism
has been taking a clever form of passive aggression among Europeans. When a white U.S. academic or activist speaks, white Europeans listen and analyze their arguments; when those of color do so, many white Europeans respond: "that sounds American...."
#FanonAt95
: The Caribbean Philosophical Association will be hosting a virtual event each day on Frantz
#Fanon
from July 1, 2020 leading up to his 95th birthday on July 20, 2020.
The rhetoric of a "divided USA" is saturated with bad faith. Black, Brown, and Indigenous voting patterns are overwhelmingly clear. The "divide" is among whites, with an unfortunate majority of whites (often about 60 percent) against the rest. Add "white men," and it's worse.
Though there is no group of people who get everything right, we should bear in mind there are some who got things seriously wrong and, worse, impose through conquest their misdeeds on the lives of others as the standard of what the rest of us are to become.
A flaw in the demographics of hate crimes is that they depend on being reported to the police & mostly white authorities whom Black, Indigenous, and Latinx peoples don't trust. Why? Seeking their help is dangerous. Thus, hate crimes against these groups are vastly underestimated.
#bellhooks
has joined the ancestors. As the eulogies grow & reflections continue, an underlying thread in her writings on dignity & freedom, & the conversations she had among those of us who knew her personally, is, poignantly & simply: love.
#Police
&
#Pelosiattack
: So, armed police respond to a white man attacking another white man with a hammer, and they bring the attacker in... alive.... Now, imagine them walking in on a black man or a black woman attacking anyone with a hammer....
UCONN-Storrs is conducting a cluster hire search for 4 tenure-track assistant professors (in English, Languages & Literature, Philosophy, & Political Science) in
#AntiracismStudies
.
Appreciation to
@sayandey89
& Rozena Maart for selecting this collection of my essays, interviews, & letters they deemed useful for their students in India, South Africa, & beyond. Publication scheduled for a month or so from now.
As actual
#love
is a form of elation in the freedom of another or others, I often wonder about people whose avowed love for animals is actually a statement of their misanthropy in which they can only have relationships with what they can control through cultivated dependency.
At this point humanity is struggling with two pandemics: COVID-19 and the rash of right-wing dullards whose lack of imagination and cruel hearts are best suited for dysfunction than the flourishing of life and virtues of courage and integrity.
Reservoirs, ponds, lakes, after 11 months of the long haul, it's great to walk. Our little speck of dust in a cloud of dust harbors life and is thus, at least for us, a wondrous planet.
"Black Existentialism and Decolonizing Knowledge with Dr. Lewis Gordon" (Chasing Leviathan)
#podcast
(available on all major podcast networks if you'd prefer to listen to the polished audio)
The rhetoric of capitalism as a crucial feature of modern life offers many contradictions. Among them is that one is supposedly born with a right to life. But then one must supposed "earn a living." Doesn't the latter forfeit the former? Shouldn't one ADD to a living?
My Penguin Random House edition arrived from the UK! Looking forward to January 17th (Monday), 2 PM EST / 7 PM GMT, virtual conversation with Kehinde Andrews:
Continued thanks to Paul Gilroy, Isaac Shub, Tobi Kassim, Jamaica Kincaid, and Hortense Spillers for last week's conversations. Next: this Monday, January 17th, at 2 PM EST/7 PM (19:00) GMT, a conversation with Kehinde Andrews for The Philosopher:
It is astounding how recent developments in this area of philosophy are a century behind phenomenology in Europe and transcendental philosophy in India:
The right, from neoconservatives to alt-right (i.e. contemporary fascists), and neoliberal elites have been waging a war against dignity, freedom, & life across the planet. The "war" is now not only from the effects of a deadly virus but also the people's fight FOR
#Democracy
.
Something to bear in mind from Frantz
#Fanon
: There is only one form of nonviolence most settlers, if not all, would accept, and that amounts to maintaining the status quo. The continued slaughtering of Indigenous and First Nation peoples don't register as "violence."
“‘Fear of Black Consciousness’ Lewis R. Gordon in conversation with Kehinde Andrews,” The Philosopher (19 January 2022).
@kehinde_andrews
,
@philosopher1923
Last night dropped to 17 degrees Fahrenheit / -8.3 Celsius. So, I made soup. Specifically, a Jamaican-style butternut squash chicken soup with carrots, turnips, many onions, celery, thyme, Spanish oregano, allspice, habanero peppers, coriander, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Aye! I'm in Montreal at Saint-Denis Street. Right-wingers marching. As ever, all "anti." No ideas. Only know what they're against. Never learning from history.
Operation "Rawhide" continues. DwA nTr, mazal tov, congratulations, Greg Doukas (
@GregoryDoukas
), on defending your doctoral dissertation,"Political Responsibility in Tumultuous Times," on 4/5/2022!
This essay is part of today's discussion in Frieda Ekotto's seminar for the
@caribphil
's Summer School 2022.
Long Read | The joy of Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe' via
@NewFrame_News
If you are Black, you are less likely
1. to get tested for COVID-19 when requesting it
2. not to have a preexisting condition
3. to be able to work from home if employed
4. to have health insurance
5. not to be harassed by law enforcement for wearing a mask
6. not to die
On
#capitalism
: A system that prioritizes financial profit ultimately rejects ethics (except, of course, when it is marketable). Empirical data from the past three centuries amount to the empowerment of scoundrels at the expense of all.