”Not my Ancestors?” - Prof. Christopher Cameron

2022-03-18

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To be or not to be...our ancestors. Over the last few years of Civil Rights protests here within the United States has been common to hear the phrase “I am not my ancestors”. And increasingly, entertainers speaking for African-Americans echo these sentiments in the public sphere. Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube have all gone on-record to openly disclaim, mock and rebuke long-held or respected connections to our forbearers in movement history. What is behind this? Is it fair or accurate to our collective memory or are their comments better expl...

To be or not to be...our ancestors. Over the last few years of Civil Rights protests here within the United States has been common to hear the phrase “I am not my ancestors”. And increasingly, entertainers speaking for African-Americans echo these sentiments in the public sphere. Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube have all gone on-record to openly disclaim, mock and rebuke long-held or respected connections to our forbearers in movement history. What is behind this? Is it fair or accurate to our collective memory or are their comments better explained by cultural bias, shame, anti-blackness and/or poor historical education? Beyond them, how do inaccurate retellings of history similarly play into our perceptions of self, community and resistance?

In this episode we feature Author and Professor Christopher Cameron for a second discussion, helping us to reshape our view of ancestry and more accurately detail our own history in Black Freethought-related Civil Rights work and the Creative Arts. Cameron is a professor of Professor of History and Interim Chair of Africana Studies at Univ. Of NC Charlotte and Author, Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism.

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(Ep. 7)

Show Notes

Host: Rogiérs

Writing & Narration: Rogiérs

Production & Editing: Fibby Music Group, LLC

Opening performed by Rogiérs, Reginald & Alesandra Ndu

Recorded at: FMG Studios, Washington, DC

Cover Artwork: Emily Wilson

Music Licensing/Episode Musical Credits courtesy of: Fibby Music Recordings, Storyblocks

Resources & Mentions

"Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism", Christopher Cameron, Northwestern University Press