Dr. Frederick Gooding, Jr., a professor of pop culture, will speak about “The Genius of Hip Hop,” Tuesday, Oct. 24

Dr. Frederick Gooding, Jr., a professor of pop culture, will speak about “The Genius of Hip Hop,” Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in Norris 101 as part of the newly established Social Justice Lecture Series at Albion College.

The event is free and open to the public.

“The Office of Belonging has created a Social Justice Lecture Series to raise awareness of issues within our country and speak to a variety of issues that pertain to social justice work,” said Dr. Taran McZee, vice president of belonging and culture for Albion College. “The lecture series will prompt Albion College to think critically about the historical context of social justice issues and focus on interdisciplinary thought when solving current social justice challenges.”

Gooding is the Dr. Ronald E. Moore Endowed Professor of the Humanities and associate history professor of African American studies within the John V. Roach Honors College at Texas Christian University. He engages audiences on subtle racial patterns “hidden in plain sight” and has provided social commentary on CNBC, CBS and FOX News networks. Gooding has reached an international audience through his invited lectures, writings and his podcast “Reconcile This!”

Gooding received his doctorate from Georgetown University; has a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of New Mexico; and a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He also has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico.

McZee said topics for the lecture series will include “Identity and Decolonizing Higher Education,” “Anti-Trans Legislation and Self-Care,” and “White Fragility and Difficult Conversations.”

“We are very excited about this series,” McZee said. “We are in the process of confirming the remaining speakers and the schedule. We will host one lecture this semester and the other three will be next semester.”