Celebrated author and scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. addressed the Stony Brook University community on February 27, urging them to engage with the complexities of history, truth, and democracy during a Presidential Lecture.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Carl Lejuez welcomed attendees at the Charles B. Wang Center Theatre. He remarked, “We are here to hear and speak with Dr. Glaude, but we’re also here to celebrate Black History Month, 100 years of James Baldwin, and locally to prepare for the 50th anniversary of Stony Brook’s Poetry Center, founded by June Jordan, a fierce political activist and powerful poet.”
Glaude, a Princeton University professor, shared insights on American democracy and social justice. His latest book "We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For," based on his Du Bois Lectures at Harvard, encourages Black Americans to embrace self-cultivation and grassroots activism.
“History is not just about the past; it’s about the stories we tell ourselves to justify the present,” Glaude stated. He emphasized universities' duty in engaging in truth-telling to imagine a different future.
Glaude highlighted individuality within history by drawing parallels with jazz improvisations as a metaphor for societal progress. “Because sometimes you’ve got to sing off-key to be heard right,” he said.
Addressing misinformation in public discourse, Glaude spoke about his role as a public intellectual: “If you read John Dewey’s The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, he says ‘the philosopher at her best brings her skill sets to bear on the problems of men and women.’ And so this is what I’m trying to do when I’m on television.”
He acknowledged challenges in meaningful discourse: “America has a tendency to live on the surface of things.” However, he insisted that people can understand complex ideas: “If people can follow Game of Thrones, they can follow complex arguments.”
During a question-and-answer session with Lejuez, Glaude discussed his personal background and commitment to accessibility: “I want my mama to understand what I’m saying.”
Glaude urged honesty both personally and nationally: “Baldwin says we’re at once miracles and disasters.” He used imagery of hidden truths preventing societal healing.
He also discussed love's role in social change: “Love is not sentimentality.” True love requires vulnerability and genuine relationships.
Warning against efforts erasing progress in diversity initiatives like DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), he noted rising resistance: “There’s a reason why these folks are going crazy over immigration... They want to take us all the way back."
Glaude concluded by emphasizing courage in confronting prejudice within personal circles: "The idea is not to be seen as good but to be good."
Using race as an analogy for America’s founding documents stained by prejudice he said: "Imagine...the only way...is holding it up." This stain represents whiteness shaping institutions today.
Encouraging Stony Brook's mission towards truth & justice he concluded saying universities must wrestle with their pasts understanding how they arrived where they are today while charting new courses forward — work essential both democratically & academically alike before attending reception/book signing afterwards
— Beth Squire