This episode features writer and professor, Dr. Elwood Watson. This conversation took place on March 5th, and was moderated by Advisory Committee member, Michelle Treece, and friend of the McKinney Center, Brittany Butler. This recorded event will be released on March 15th, to see it, go to YouTube.com and search for McKinney Center or use any podcast app and search CTM the Podcast or visit https://mckinneycenter.com/conversations-that-matter .
Elwood Watson Ph.D. is Professor of History, Black Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies at East Tennessee State University. He is a syndicated columnist https://www.cagle.com/author/elwood-watson/ and the author of four books, Outsiders Within: Black Women in the Legal Academy After Brown v. Board (Rowman and Littlefield), Understanding the Humanities (Kendall Hunt, 2014), Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America (University of Chicago Press, 2019) and Talkin’ To you Bro! Liberating Yourself From The Confusing, Ambiguous of Contemporary Masculinity.2021.). He is currently working on a book on men who are members of Generation X , that is men who were born between 1965-1980.
He is also the editor and co -editor of edited collections include Performing American Masculinities: The 21st Century Man in Popular Culture (Indiana University Press,2011) Pimps, Wimps, Studs: Thugs and Gentlemen: Essays on Media Images of Masculinity (McFarland, 2009), The Oprah Phenomenon (University Press of Kentucky, 2007), Searching the Soul of Ally McBeal: Critical Essays (McFarland, 2006), and There She Is, Miss America: The Politics of Sex, Beauty and Race in America’s Most Famous Pageant (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004), Mentoring Faculty of Color: Essays on Professional Development and Advancement in Colleges and Universities (McFarland , 2012) Generation X Professors Speak: Voices From Academia (Scarecrow Press, 2013), Overcoming Adversity in Academia: Stories From Generation X Professors,(University Press of America, 2014 and Beginning a Career in Academia: A Guide For Graduate Students of Color (Routledge Press, 2015). HBO Girls: The Awkward Politics of Gender, Race and Privilege (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015) and Violence Against Black Bodies: An Intersectional Analysis of How Black Lives Continue to Matter (Routledge Press, 2017).
He was the guest editor for a special issue of Masculinity in the 21st Century. Interactions: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (Spring 2016)
He was the co-editor-in-chief of the journal - Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities from 2019 -2022.
He has published numerous articles about race, gender, higher education, popular culture and American culture in national newspapers and magazines and is a blogger for Diverse Education, Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, X/Y Online, The Black Past.org, Medium.com, New York Times, Seattle Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, US News and World Report and other publications. He is a syndicated columnist for Cagle Syndicate.
“Conversations that Matter” is a monthly series produced by the McKinney Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. In each “Conversation” two local guests from different backgrounds (age, race, religion, culture, etc.) explore their own culture and perspective, and talk to each other about what makes them unique, discover their similarities, and explore their differences. They will look at where their lives might intersect personally and in the community. The goal of each “Conversation that Matters” is for guests and participants to hear real stories, from real neighbors.
This monthly series is inspired by the Diversity & Equity Subcommittee at the McKinney Center, and their desire to highlight the experiences of all voices in Washington County, Tennessee, with an intention to include marginalized groups. By showcasing these conversations, the Diversity & Equity subcommittee hopes to open doors to new ideas and perspectives amongst our very own neighbors. Questions such as, “What was your experience in grade-school and how did that make you feel?” or, “Have you experienced exclusion or racism?” For many of us the answers are different and unique. The McKinney Center believes it is time to talk about our experiences and share them.
There is value in uplifting these stories so that we may learn from one another. Then, after hearing from one another our moderators and guest conversationalists will give insight on how to move forward.
