Please join us for Transpositive on KBOO Community Radio on Tuesday, April 4th as we interview Micahel Jeffries, author of the new book "Black and Queer on Campus." In Black and Queer on Campus, Michael P. Jeffries reveals the complicated everyday realities of college life for Black students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Through the honest voices and compelling stories of diverse Black LGBTQ+ students, Black and Queer on Campus sheds light on what Jeffries describes as the Black queertidian: the day-to-day experiences for students, with an emphasis on quiet Black queer pride and contentedness.
While many people believe that Black communities are more homophobic due to conservative Christian values, young Black queer people are increasingly carving out space for themselves on college campuses. Challenging this stereotype is key to understanding how the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality is playing out nationally at educational institutions, where the quiet beauty and joy of Black queer social life and the bonds of friendship that sustain the students and fuel their imagination continue to expand.
“Most of the students interviewed for this book do not describe themselves as eccentric or radical,” notes Jeffries, “and do not experience each moment of each day as a political act or affirmation. Instead, many describe their lives in mundane ways.” Yet, despite sharing many common concerns, priorities, and delights with straight college students of all races, Black LGBTQ+ students face particular challenges, including dealing with lack of understanding or outright rejection from their birth and home families while struggling to find mentors they can trust and spaces on campus where they can be themselves and feel safe.
Transpositive is a biweekly program in Portland exploring themes important to those who identify as Transgender, Gender Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming. Transpositive tries to connect listeners with the ongoing activist, arts, culture, and dialogue happening in Portland and beyond. Make your voice heard! Transpositive PDX is open to new and experienced programmers, guests, and events you want our community to know about. We are an open collective. Anyone who identifies as trans, gender non-binary, gender fluid is welcome to be part of our collective after completing some basic free radio training.
About the author: MICHAEL P. JEFFRIES, is Dean of Academic Affairs, Class of 1949 Professor in Ethics, and Professor of American Studies at Wellesley College. He is the author of three previous books on race and American culture: Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip-Hop, Paint the White House Black: Barack Obama and the Meaning of Race in America, and Behind the Laughs: Community and Inequality in Comedy. He has published dozens of essays and works of criticism in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and the Boston Globe, and has been interviewed by the Washington Post, The New York Times, and NPR. A native of Brooklyn, NY, and South Orange, NJ, he makes his home in the Greater Boston area. https://www.wellesley.edu/americanstudies/facstaff/jeffries
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