Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness by Simone Browne

Simone Browne’s Dark Matters investigates the historical and contemporary practices of surveillance on Black communities, revealing how surveillance is woven into the fabric of racial inequality. Browne explores the ways Blackness has been systematically surveilled and controlled, tracing these practices back to transatlantic slavery, where technologies of surveillance were first developed to monitor enslaved individuals. Through powerful analysis, Browne connects historical systems of control to modern technologies, like biometrics and airport security, questioning how the ongoing surveillance of Blackness shapes identity, privacy, and freedom. This episode invites listeners to examine the societal structures of observation and control, reconsidering how surveillance impacts marginalized communities in profound and lasting ways.