The Black Politics of Michael Jackson

Description

Join host Laura DeSisto for a curated discussion with Tristan Cabello on the "Black Politics of Michael Jackson." This is part of the Faculty Spotlight series for the Johns Hopkins Master of Liberal Arts Program.

Michael Jackson was a global superstar who reached crossover appeal in the late 20th century. More than a mainstream pop performer, Jackson was a musician, singer, dancer, and visual artist who transformed his artistic heritage, deeply grounded in the African American tradition, to reach a broad audience, in the U.S. and globally. This talk aims at reframing Michael Jackson's cultural and social origins to reveal his anchor in the African American musical, philosophical, and political traditions. We will closely examine Michael Jackson's music, videos, writing, and meta-narratives.

Tristan Cabello is an historian of social movements in France and the U.S. He is associate director of the Master of Liberal Arts at the Johns Hopkins University and has received his PhD in history from Northwestern University. He teaches "The Black Politics of Michael Jackson" at Johns Hopkins University.