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Author: Karida L. Brown

In Conversation with Laurence Ralph

Sociologist Karida L. Brown, joined in conversation by Laurence Ralph, presents her new book, "The Battle for the Black Mind." The first 50 registered participants receive a free copy of the book.

A YouTube livestream is available for this event: https://youtube.com/live/6EnT3BUN3oU?feature=share 

About the book (from the publisher):

"The Battle for the Black Mind" is an explosive historical account of the struggle for educational justice in America. Drawing on over a decade of archival research, personal reflection, and keen sociological insight, this book traces a century of segregated schooling, examining how early efforts to control Black minds through education systems has laid the foundation for the systemic inequities we still live with today. NAACP Image Award-winning author Karida L. Brown, takes readers from the rural South to the bustling cities of the North and connects the dots between the experiences of Black students and educators across the nation. From the founding of early Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), such as Hampton, Atlanta, and Tuskegee University, to the rise of the Black freedom struggle, The Battle for the Black Mind weaves together the stories of pioneering Black leaders and the institutions they built to educate future generations.

Far from dwelling solely on oppression, this book offers powerful insight into how Black people have always fought to create environments where Black minds could thrive. Brown concludes with an urgent and empowering call to action, equipping everyday Americans with practical steps—both big and small—to ensure that Black minds can continue to flourish, even as our education system itself comes under attack.

Grounded in both historical rigor and astute social commentary, "The Battle for the Black Mind" speaks directly to today’s national fight over the American classroom, making it clear that the battle for Black minds is far from over. This book will resonate deeply if one comprehends the transformative power of education and is invested in understanding how education has always played a role in shaping the moral conscience of America.

In Conversation:

Karida L. Brown is a professor of sociology at Emory University, an NAACP Image Award-winning author and public intellectual. A professor at Emory University, Brown is a leading scholar of systemic racism and the study of Black life. Her work, which spans over a decade of groundbreaking research and analysis, has earned her both national and international acclaim. She is the author co-author of "The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families," continuing the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois by centering Black narratives and empowering Black futures. Photo Credit: Marie Thomas (cropped)

Laurence Ralph is a professor of anthropology at Princeton University and previously a professor at Harvard University for nearly a decade. His research explores how police abuse, mass incarceration, and the drug trade make disease, disability, and premature death seem natural for urban residents of color, who are often seen as disposable. His first book "Renegade Dreams" (University of Chicago Press, 2014), received the C Wright Mills Award. His second book, "The Torture Letters" (University of Chicago Press, 2020), explores a decades-long scandal in which hundreds of Black men were tortured in police custody. His writing has been featured in The Paris Review, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Nation, The Chicago Review of Books, Boston Review, and Foreign Affairs.

Presented in partnership with the Criminal Justice Initiative at the School of Public and International Affairs and the Effron Center for the Study of America at Princeton University and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this programming do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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