When I first heard the uproar over Whoopi Goldberg’s comments about the Holocaust, it felt like just one more excuse for public outrage. But then I had the opportunity to talk with Robyn Autry, a Black sociologist at Wesleyan who studies racial identity. Autry told me she couldn’t stop thinking and talking about what Goldberg said – how she tried and mostly failed to apologize, and how the public was reacting.
Autry agreed to put her thoughts into an article for us.
In her piece, Autry describes how America is often forced into an uncomfortable discussion about race only in reaction to violence or scandal. “In the absence of sustained national dialogue, shows like ‘The View’ and comedians like Goldberg can easily become lightning rods,” Autry writes. “The American public often overestimates their ability to unpack complicated social issues. Are they public intellectuals or entertainers?”
Autry’s analysis has me thinking about what more meaningful dialogue would look like, and if it is happening somewhere more appropriate than on daytime TV. Hit reply to send me your thoughts and suggestions.
Also today:
|
Robyn Autry, Wesleyan University
In the absence of meaningful national dialogue about race, the American public often turns to entertainers to unpack complicated social issues.
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Soomi Lee, University of South Florida
Age is no longer the only definition of midlife. An expert in aging explains why.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Mathieu Morlighem, Dartmouth College
Glaciers in North America, Europe and the Andes, in particular, have significantly less ice than people realized.
-
Krishna Rao, Stanford University; Alexandra Konings, Stanford University; Marta Yebra, Australian National University; Noah Diffenbaugh, Stanford University; Park Williams, University of California, Los Angeles
A new study maps vegetation’s fire risk across the West and shows where population in the highest-risk areas from California to Texas is booming.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M University; Timothy J. Shaffer, Kansas State University
Legitimate political discourse is based on persuasion, not coercion or violence. Two scholars of communication and democracy explain the difference.
|
|
Education
|
-
Matthew Shirrell, George Washington University
School suspension rates drop significantly if US teachers came from more diverse backgrounds, a scholar says.
|
|
Ethics + Religion
|
-
Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross
Saints are recognized for exceptional virtue and faith. But some also are commemorated for their scholarship.
|
|