Dr. Wright: “Wake Up Mr. West”
The Challenge of Race for Kanye West and Other Black Celebrities
Wednesday, March 16, 6;00 pm: Free and open to the public via Zoom: Link available here.
As part of Trinity’s Global Perspectives on Race and Racism Symposium, Dr. Joshua Wright, associate professor of global affairs at Trinity, will discuss his new book: “’Wake Up, Mr. West’: Kanye West and the Double Consciousness of Black Celebrity.” His biography examines the hip-hop icon’s career and controversies. In a recent interview about his book, Dr. Wright notes, “I wanted to use Kanye’s career and life as a case study on the Black celebrity in America. I hope that people can use this book to engage in deeper dialogues and conversations on race, class, fame, identity, and what it means to be an exceptional Black man or woman in a white-centric American society.” Dr. Wright is a scholar of Black celebrities and has written extensively on this and other topics. He is the author of “‘Empire and Black Images in Popular Culture,” which examines the evolution and potency of black images in popular culture and explores the television show “Empire” and its place in a diverse body of literature and media, data and discussions on respectability. Dr. Wright is also the host of “Woke History,” a new podcast series streaming on the National Public Radio app, NPR One, that is also available at WESM-FM. Learn more about Dr. Joshua Wright.
Dr. Jamal Watson, director of Trinity’s Strategic Communications and Public Relations program and a renowned journalist, will interview Dr. Wright.
- Learn more about the Global Perspectives on Race and Racism Symposium at Trinity, March 16-17, supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
- Learn more about Trinity’s global affairs program (undergraduate).
- Learn more about Trinity’s strategic communications and public relations programs (master’s degree) and undergraduate journalism and media relations programs (offered in both daytime and evening/weekend formats).
- Learn more about Dr. Joshua Wright.
Trinity Media Contact: Ann Pauley, pauleya@trinitydc.edu, 202-884-9725.
“’Wake Up, Mr. West’: Kanye West and the Double Consciousness of Black Celebrity” was just published by McFarland Books in January 2022 and is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, mcfarlandbooks.com, and other booksellers.
