Dr. Utz McKnight delves into contemporary racial politics and political theory, addressing issues of everyday racism, sovereignty, and violence. His scholarship examines the implications of racial inequality within American democracy and the everyday practice of race in the United States. He teaches advanced courses in critical race theory, race and popular culture, and contemporary political theory. His research illuminates the complex interplay between equality and sovereignty in modern political landscapes.
The book offers a fresh perspective on the social construction of race in the United States, challenging existing narratives within political theory and cultural studies. It presents a novel framework for analyzing the persistence of racial dynamics in society, making it a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in American politics, race, and ethnic studies. Through its critical examination, it aims to deepen the understanding of race's role in contemporary social structures.
Equality, Sovereignty, and American Democracy
Examining the intersection of race and politics, Utz McKnight challenges the notion that race is merely a personal issue, asserting its political significance in the U.S. He analyzes key African American fiction across pivotal moments in racial politics, employing earlier political theory to enhance his argument for a new critical approach to race. This groundbreaking work is essential for scholars in political theory, identity politics, African American studies, and American Studies, offering fresh insights into the political dimensions of race.
Free Black woman, poet, novelist, essayist, speaker, and activist, Frances Watkins Harper was one of the nineteenth century’s most important advocates of Abolitionism and female suffrage, and her pioneering work still has profound lessons for us today. In this new book, Utz McKnight shows how Harper’s life and work inspired her contemporaries to imagine a better America. He seeks to recover her importance by examining not only her vision of the possibilities of Emancipation, but also her subsequent role in challenging Jim Crow. He argues that engaging with her ideas and writings is vital in understanding not only our historical inheritance, but also contemporary issues ranging from racial violence to the role of Christianity. This lucid book is essential reading not only for students of African American history, but also for all progressives interested in issues of race, politics, and society.