ya'ke smith

Ya’Ke Smith (Ep. 26, 2021)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. discusses the current Black media renaissance and African American cultural influence with Ya’Ke Smith, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Associate Professor of Film at the University of Texas at Austin.

Part I: Being Black at UT 63 Years After Integration

400 years ago, a group of 20 enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for the express purpose of working the land, thus beginning one of the most shameful periods in America’s history.

Although Diversity and Inclusion have become a mission of so many academic and corporate entities, the vestiges of that tragic day still haunt us, and in our current political climate forces us to grapple with the question: how far have we actually progressed when it comes to race in this country?

Join guest host Ya’Ke Smith in a candid conversation with Virginia Cumberbatch, Kathleen McElroy, and Roger Reeves as they discuss this pivotal event and how it still affects the way African-Americans are viewed today.

Diversity is not just about buzz words, but it’s about America grappling with her history, facing it head-on, and making earnest efforts to repair the insurmountable damage that her original sin still causes today.

Audience Q&A: Being Black At UT 63 Years After Integration

400 years ago, a group of 20 enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for the express purpose of working the land, thus beginning one of the most shameful periods in America’s history.

Although Diversity and Inclusion have become a mission of so many academic and corporate entities, the vestiges of that tragic day still haunt us, and in our current political climate forces us to grapple with the question: how far have we actually progressed when it comes to race in this country?

Join guest host Ya’Ke Smith in a candid conversation with Virginia Cumberbatch, Kathleen McElroy, and Roger Reeves as they discuss this pivotal event and how it still affects the way African-Americans are viewed today.

Diversity is not just about buzz words, but it’s about America grappling with her history, facing it head-on, and making earnest efforts to repair the insurmountable damage that her original sin still causes today.