Read Until You Understand - A Book Talk with Farah Jasmine Griffin (Virtual Event)

Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature
A Book Talk with Farah Jasmine Griffin

“Read until you understand” is a line the author’s father, who passed away when she was nine years old, wrote in a note to her. That line is central to this book about love of the majestic power of words and love of the magnificence of Black life. Rooted in the culture of Black genius and the legacy of books from the home library that her father left her, Dr. Griffin brings explores a lifetime of discoveries which include the ideas that inspired the stunning oratory of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, the inventive artistry of Romare Bearden, the daring literature of Phillis Wheatley and Toni Morrison, and much more.

This event is part of our year-long exploration on the theme of "Home, What does it look like now?" How can we reconsider home in the 21st century as we cross states and borders seeking comfort, safety and identity? Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, state sanctioned violence against black bodies coupled with enhancing diverse and inclusive curricula, the Center for Black Visual Culture (CBVC) will explore the significant ways black visual narratives respond to the cultural, dynamic political, social, economic as well intimate changes that force us to (re)interrogate previous conceptions of home.

Co-sponsored by Institute of African American Affairs / Center for Black Visual Culture at NYU, the 370J Project and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality at NYU, and the Department of Photography & Imaging, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.