Suffolk Reporter

Celebrated author and scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. delivered a thought-provoking lecture at Stony Brook University on February 27, urging attendees to grapple with the complexities of history, truth, and democracy. The event was part of the Presidential Lecture series and coincided with Black History Month celebrations.

Carl Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, welcomed guests 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.”

Glaude, a Princeton University professor, shared insights on American democracy and social justice. His latest book is a New York Times bestseller based on his Du Bois Lectures at Harvard. It encourages grassroots activism among ordinary Black Americans.

“History is not just about the past; it’s about the stories we tell ourselves to justify the present,” Glaude said. He emphasized universities' role in truth-telling for imagining a different future.

Drawing parallels between jazz improvisations and societal progress, he noted, “Because sometimes you’ve got to sing off-key to be heard right.” He discussed challenges faced as a public intellectual amidst misinformation in public discourse: “If people can follow Game of Thrones, they can follow complex arguments.”

During a question-and-answer session with Lejuez, Glaude reflected on his background and communication style: “I want my mama to understand what I’m saying,” highlighting his commitment to accessibility.

He urged honesty in confronting historical truths: “Baldwin says we’re at once miracles and disasters.” Using an analogy about marriage, he stressed dealing with underlying lies.

Glaude addressed love's role in social change: “Love is not sentimentality.” True love requires vulnerability and genuine relationships.

Warning against efforts undermining diversity initiatives like DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion), he stated: “They want to take us all the way back to the 1920s.” The moral consideration of who matters remains crucial.

Acknowledging difficulties confronting prejudice within personal circles—“We all know what we hear around our tables”—he encouraged courage over being seen as good: “The idea is not to be seen as good but to be good.”

Concluding with race metaphors related through candlelight-illuminated documents representing stained ideas influencing institutions shaped by constructs such as whiteness rather than individuals themselves.

Encouraging Stony Brook towards truth-seeking missions aligned democratically transformative work ahead; reception followed alongside book signing afterward concluded insightful gathering.