"intellectual espresso"

Michelle McCrary, who runs the terrific website Is That Your Child?, blogged a few weeks ago about Racial Innocence. I was so happy that Michelle put my book into dialogue with the issues confronted by contemporary parents, particularly those in multicultural families. The blog post received a lot of attention, so Michelle invited me to speak on her radio program. We spoke last night for almost an hour, and it was one of the most stimulating and enjoyable interviewing experiences I've ever had. Michelle asked the most insightful, penetrating questions about the history of race, childhood, and especially toys. We talked about topsy-turvy dolls, the Clark Doll Tests, nineteenth-century black dolls, innocence, and many, many other topics--including, ultimately, the possibility of anti-racist resistance. We could have talked for hours!

Michelle has deftly edited our interview and posted it on iTunes, Libsyn and on Stitcher (for mobile users and tablet users). She also blogged again about the book as well as our interview, and the interview is posted on that webpage. In her very kind introduction to the interview, Michelle called my book "intellectual espresso," and she said, "This is a really excellent book. I can't stop raving about it, and I can't stop encouraging people enough to just go out there and get it." Michelle also added a postscript to the interview in which she shared her own thoughts about the contemporary criminalization of black children, racist sports mascots, and Joel Chandler Harris. She also made some great points about how racial innocence lives on in the claims of contemporary white adults, especially members of the tea party, who wax nostalgic for an imagined past in which African Americans "knew their place." Michelle McCrary is one of the most thoughtful, closest readers I've ever had. I loved talking with her, and I hope for opportunities to continue the conversation. Thank you, Michelle McCrary, and hats off to isthatyourchild.com!

Radio, Video, and Print, Oh My!

This past fall and winter, I was interviewed 19 times on regional NPR and other stations. I had a blast talking about childhood and race, Raggedy Ann dolls and the Scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and lots more on a variety of African American, feminist, religious, queer, and progressive shows. Many thanks to all the interviewers who asked such great questions. Here's the archive--along with some older video and print interviews about Racial Innocence. Enjoy!

RADIO

"Uprising Radio" with Sonali Kolhatkar, KPFK, Pacifica in Southern California, 15-minute interview, February 2, 2012

"Women-Stirred Radio" with Merry Gangemi, WGDR, Plainfield, VT, 30-minute live interview, January 12, 2012

"Voices of Our World" with Kathy Golden, program run by the Maryknoll, a progressive religious community, nationally syndicated to over 100 radio stations, 25 minute taped interview (click "Not So Innocent"), December 12, 2011

"The Women's Show" with Arly Helm, feminist radio program, KVMR-FM, Grass Valley, CA, 50-minute taped interview,
December 12, 2011

"The Wimmin's Music Program" with Laura Rinaldi, feminist radio program, KKUP, Santa Cruz, 30-minute live interview, December 4, 2011

"The Bob Salter Show," progressive radio show, WFAN/WXRK, New York City, 30-minute taped interview, December 3, 2011

"Peace and Social Justice" with Laurel Avalon, KZFR, Chico, CA, 30-minute live interview, December 2, 2011

"Northern Spirit Radio" with Mark Judkins Helpsmeet, progressive Christian radio program, hour-long taped interview, December 1, 2011

"Radio with a View" with Marc Stern, progressive radio program, WMBR FM, Cambridge, MA, 40-minute live studio interview, November 27, 2011

"Perspectives" with Richard Baker, progressive radio show syndicated on 23 NPR stations, 30-minute taped interview, November 21, 2011

"Late Mornings with Jeff Schechtman," progressive radio show, KVON-AM, Napa, CA, 30-minute taped interview, November 15, 2011

"Lambda Radio Report" with Charone Pagett, African American LGBT radio show, WRFG-FM, Atlanta,
30-minute live interview, November 15, 2011

"Culture Shocks" with Barry Lynn, progressive radio show sponsored by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, syndicated to 9 radio stations in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and California, 40-minute taped interview, November 14, 2011

"An Evening With Guy Rathbun," progressive radio show, KCBX - FM, (NPR) San Luis Obispo, 20-minute taped interview, November 14, 2011

"Queer Voices" with Jone Devlin, KPFT (Pacifica), Houston, TX, 15-minute live interview, November 14, 2011

"LIBRadio" ("Living in Black Radio") with Keidi Obi Awadu, Afrocentric radio show, Black Star Media, Inglewood, CA, hour-long live interview with callers, November 11, 2011

"Feminist Edition with Charlotte Crockford," WUML, Lowell, MA, 30-minute taped interview, November 8, 2011

"The 8:00 Buzz with Stan Woodard," progressive radio show, WORT-FM, Madison, Wisconsin, 20-minute live interview, November 8, 2011

"Conversations with Peter Solomon," progressive radio show, WIP AM and FM, Philadelphia, 30-minute live interview, November 6, 2011

VIDEO

Interview with the Association for Theatre in Higher Education on the occasion of winning the award for Outstanding Article in a Journal. This interview explains some of the key ideas in Racial Innocence

PRINT MEDIA

"Professor Revisits Clark Doll Tests," article in The Harvard Crimson, December 1, 2011.

"The Invention of Childhood Innocence," interview in The Harvard Gazette, April 29, 2010.