“Generation X” is a cohort whose fuller significance is only now emerging. Coming of age in the 1970s and 1980s, we now constitute the rising voice of political and cultural analysis; the growing dominant constituency within politics; and the ascending class of societal “power brokers.” To the detriment of our social fabric, however, we remain a misunderstood force in the contemporary United States.
Our perspective on race and race relations in the United States offers one avenue toward greater understanding. As the most educated generation in U.S. history, this perspective is at least partially rooted in our formal educational experiences. Clearly, it has also been accentuated by the alternative educational context in which we came of age: an era shaped by the rise and decline of race-based movements for rights; the disillusionment in government institutions inspired by the Vietnam War and Watergate; the ubiquitous fear of humanity’s demise suggested by the threat of nuclear war and AIDS; an incipient technical culture of self-expression in personal computing and urban musicality; and the realignment of the Reagan Era and the rise of the “New Right.” Constitutive of both our formal and informal “schooling,” particularly on race and racism, these myriad forces have shaped the ways of knowing that we bring to the present moment, forging our generational distinctiveness as an immanently critical modality.
With this notion of a critically and diversely schooled generation as a starting point, the editors seek proposals for contributions to an edited volume on “Race in the Obama Era.” We invite submissions from members of this generation who have a perspective to offer on recent political and cultural events inspired by and/or relating to Barack Obama. Whether as the dawn of a “post-racial America” or an era of “identity-politics,” the election of Barack Obama has inspired an assortment of debates on race, racism, and American society. Conscious of the ways our generation sees and interprets the world in distinct ways, we invite essays confronting “race” from new perspectives. We welcome submissions on a range of topics including, but not limited to, race as incarnated in the recent election cycle, the inauguration, or the Obama Presidency in its infancy. Similarly, we welcome projects seeking meaning and (mis)understanding in the present moment; probing the possibilities and limitations of racial discourse and politics; or discussing the relationship between themes and the priorities of the Obama administration, in particular those considered representative of our generation.
To these ends, the volume seeks to provide a vital occasion for applied work in the assessment of a generation’s critical identity. The editors wish to capture this unique generational voice in a wide variety of formats. Submissions may take the form of scholarly articles, rooted in a given disciplinary or interdisciplinary methodology; or non-scholarly pieces written in the first-person, in the style of testimonial or personal reflection. We also welcome creative endeavors which might broaden or challenge our scope.
We ask interested writers, scholars, and public intellectuals to send a one-page (no more then 300 word) abstract describing their proposed contribution. We also ask you include a brief biographical statement (name; age; profession/vocation; ethnic/racial background; place you call home). All submissions will be expeditiously reviewed and formal invitations will follow shortly.
The submission deadline for the above materials is Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Proposals should be sent via email to deepschool@gmail.com.
Proposal queries may be directed to either one of the project editors, Darryl A. Smith (darryl.smith@pomona.edu) or Tomás F. Summers Sandoval Jr. (tfss@pomona.edu).
Lessons From the Deep School 