The Black Utopians; vision, history, and legacy
Episode description
Ruha Benjamin, sociologist and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University discusses the concept of "us topia" as an alternative between dystopia and utopia, which accomodates shaping the future through collective agency. Benjamin says technology also can play a role in representing the public good and shares the example of Barcelona’s Decidim app which promotes democratic participation in city governance. Aaron Robertson, author and writer talks about the utopian ideal and how it influenced a group of Black thinkers, artists and political leaders in the 1960’s.
Guests:
Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, Founding Director of the Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab, and author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code," Other books include Imagination: A Manifesto, Viral Justice, People’s Science
Writer, editor, and author of “The Black Utopians:Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America.”