Columbia University Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS)

Professor Jackie Stewart Ph.D., shares details about her project titled "Migrating to the Movies". "Migrating to the Movies" investigates the relationship between African Americans, cinema and the social conditions of the first wave of the Great Migration.

In his fascinating lecture titled “Spirit Soundings: Religion Race and the Arts in the 20th Century America”, Dr. Josef Sorett, Assistant Professor of Religion and African-American Studies at Columbia University, examines the ways religion and spirituality intersect with black expression and black art.

Dr. Jerry Watts, explores the political thought of black intellectuals from the 20th century and addresses important questions such as how do intellectuals emerge from subjugated groups and how do intellectuals function in relation to other subjugated groups in this thought-provoking lecture.

In this provocative lecture, Dr. Tricia Rose, professor of American studies at University California Santa Cruz, explores the topic of intimate justice as it relates to the lives of African American women.

Dr. Warren examines critical topics such as race, the American labor movement, contemporary African American politics and the continual relationship between democracy, race and economic justice from the vantage point of contemporary issues.

The presenters in this lecture, examine the contemporary video vixen in hip-hop music videos by situating the image of the video vixen within the larger social, political and historical context of the black female image.

Historian and political activist Dr. Barbara Ransby, shares details about her book Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision. In this compelling lecture, Dr. Ransby describes the significance of Baker’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, the scope of Baker’s political activism as well as her process of writing Baker’s biography.

Dr. Ada Ferrer, Associate Professor of Latin American and Caribbean History at New York University, shares her research which centers on the intellectual, political and social effects of the Haitian Revolution in Cuba and the Atlantic World.

In the final panel of the 10th Anniversary Conference and celebration for the Institute of Research in African American Studies, Lee D. Baker (Assistant Professor of African American Studies and Anthropology at Columbia University), Dr. Curtis Stokes (Professor of Political Theory at James Madison College), Dr. Geoff Ward (Assistant Professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at North Eastern University) and Dr. Michael L. Blakely (Professor of Anthropology at Howard University) share their vision of the future of African American studies.

The speakers in each panel of the 10th Anniversary Conference and celebration for the Institute of Research in African American Studies reflect on the founding growth and development of one of the nation’s major programs in African American studies, celebrate the vision of Professor Manning Marable and the work and devotion of numerous students, staff, faculty and members of the community who’ve assisted in helping bring forth Dr. Marable’s vision of IRAAS. In this first panel, Laurent Alfred (Coordinator of the Africana Criminal Justice Project), Kristen Clarke (Trial Attorney in the civil rights division in the Civil Rights Division in the New York Department of Justice), Devin Furgus (Assistant Professor of History at Vandenberg University), Johanna Fernandez (Visiting Lecturer of African American studies and 20th Century US history at Trinity College), Amy Kendron (Chief Research Assistant for Dr. Manning Marable), and Monique Morris (Senior Research Associate for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency) discuss building an activist African American studies from campus to community.

Bill Fletcher, political activist and former president of TransAfrica forum, discusses his involvement in politics, and his experience as an activist in the labor movement as well as his role as president of TransAfrica forum in this rousing interview.

Cathy Cohen, political science professor at The University of Chicago, feminist and social activist describes her personal life, introduction to politics and her work in black politics in this captivating interview.

Zaheer Ali, scholar of American history and religion, lectures on the history of Islam’s presence in black America from slavery to today.

Intellectual activists Julia Sudbury, Angela Davis, Van Jones and Eddie Ellis present their vision of how to dismantle the fundamental source that challenges the existence of democracy and freedom, the prison industrial complex and the processes of mass incarceration at the Final Plenary Session of the Conference Africana Studies Against Criminal Injustice.

Dr. Manning Marable addresses disproportionate wealth in the United States by establishing the connection between discriminatory practices and the absence of black capital formation in this riveting forum titled “Where Do We Go From Here: Beyond Racial and Cass Inequality.

In this interview conducted by Dr. Manning Marble, Michael Manley, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, shares his personal insights of Jamaica's social and political history in the post-World War II era. Manley also discusses his perspective of the impact of race on the culture and politics of Jamaica as well as the future of democratic socialism and the political future of the world.

Anthropologist Dr. John Jackson discusses how race and class intersect in one’s everyday life. As an ethnographer, Jackson is particularly interested in the social and cultural landscape of the historic black neighborhood of Harlem, NYC. The title of this lecture is “White Harlem: How to do Ethnography with Your Eyes Closed”.

CROWD, APPLAUSE - INDOOR: SMALL CROWD Applauding & Clapping Crowds (Vintage Recording) CROWD, APPLAUSE - INDOOR: SMALL CROWD Applauding & Clapping Crowds (Vintage Recording)