May 6, 2021
Olivia Olson speaks with Professor Jody Armour about the power of "word work to really make the frozen circumstances that somebody is stuck in dance, by playing them to their own melody."
In Prof Armour's latest book N*gga Theory, he focuses on the n-word to delve deeply into the social meaning behind the use of words. How can language challenge cultural boundaries? How can one word carry so much power?
Certain language is a form of mutual aid.
This is a powerful conversation on community. When the power of the state used language to sow inequality, how must we unlearn the language, how do we redefine the words we use to re-root community, to reclaim morality, to grow justice?
For links : bedrosian.usc.edu/bigpicture