Left of Black: The death of Trayvon Martin and the "fictions" of black leadership

By Mark Anthony Neal
Left of Black
March 25, 2011
edwards_charisma coverHost and Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal is joined via Skype© by R.L’Heureux Lewis, Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at the City University of New York and Mary Morten, consultant for the Morten Group in Chicago and producer of the new film Woke Up Black which examines the lives of five Black youth.  Lewis and Morten examine the recent shooting death of Trayvon Martin, taking into account the stereotyping of young black men.  Lewis discusses the devastating effects that the criminalization of Black men has on women.  Lastly, Morten shares reactions to her film.
Later, Neal is joined via Skype© by Erica Edwards, Professor of English at the University of California at Riverside and author of the new book Charisma: The Fictions of Black Leadership.  Edwards discusses the inspiration for her book – a speech made by singer Erykah Badu at the Million Man March in 2005.  Edwards examines why the leadership of a singular Black male has been deemed so important to the Black community, and explains how different time periods create a yearning for charismatic leadership.