Elwood Watson, Author at American Diversity Report

All posts by Elwood Watson

Former ADR ADVISOR Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is a Professor of history, African American Studies and Gender Studies. He is also an author and public speaker. His latest book, Keepin' It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America is published by the University of Chicago Press. He is also the author of Outsiders Within: Black Women in the Legal Academy After Brown V. Board (Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2008).

Bill Maher, host of the quasi political/entertainment program HBO Real Time with Bill Maher, recently had renowned Black intellectual and ordained Baptist minister Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and rapper Ice Cube as guests. They discussed the n-word controversy that erupted on the May 31 edition of the program when Maher flippantly referred to himself as a “house nigger” in an interview with Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska). The senator had been invited to the program to discuss his book on what he sees as the increasing problem on prolonged adolescence occurring in American society. Sasse and Maher agreed on the issue and provided examples and suggestions on how to rectify the problem. Things seemed to be going well up until this exchange transpired between both men:

Maher: Adults dress up for Halloween. They don’t do that in Nebraska?

Sasse: It’s frowned upon. We don’t do that quite as much.

Maher: I gotta get to Nebraska more.

Sasse: You’re welcome. We’d love to have you work in the fields with us.

Maher: Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house nigger.

Continue reading Bill Maher and the N-Word Debate – Elwood Watson →

Earlier this month, President Trump convened a press conference where he surrounded himself with an assorted group of Black celebrities, Black athletes, a few Black conservative policy makers and other relatively well known Black individuals who lean politically right. This, in and of itself, was nothing out of the ordinary. After all, February is Black History Month. Moreover, one would fully expect Donald Trump, (like his more recent predecessors), to demonstrate some degree of acknowledgment to the significant accomplishments of Black Americans. OK, so far, so good.

Continue reading The Current Racial Climate Necessitates the Importance of Black History Month – by Elwood Watson, Ph.D →

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