Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature

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“Read until you understand” is a line the author’s father, who passed away when she was nine years old, wrote in a note to her: That line is central to this book about love of the majestic power of words and love of the magnificence of Black life. Rooted in the culture of Black genius and the legacy of books that her father left her, Dr. Griffin brings HOME a lifetime of discoveries: the ideas that inspired the stunning oratory of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, the inventive artistry of Romare Bearden, the daring literature of Phillis Wheatley and Toni Morrison, and much more.

This event is part of our year-long exploration on the theme of “Home, What does it look like now?” How can we reconsider home in the 21st century as we cross states and borders seek- ing comfort, safety and identity? Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, state sanctioned violence against black bodies coupled with enhancing diverse and inclusive curricula, the Center for Black Visual Culture (CBVC) will explore the significant ways black visual narratives respond to the cultural, dynamic political, social, economic as well intimate changes that force us to (re)interrogate previous conceptions of home.

https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393651904

https://english.columbia.edu/content/farah-jasmine-griffin

BIO: Farah Jasmine Griffin was the inaugural chair of the African American and African Diaspora Studies Department at Columbia University, where she is also William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature. She is the author of numerous books and the recipient of a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives in New York.

Register for this free Zoom webinar here.