On Wednesday, March 26, Catherine Squires will present "Can Obama 'Transcend' or Not? Race and Identifications in News Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Race" from 2:00-3:30 in the Geneva H. Southall Library (Social Sciences Tower 815). [Presentation Abstract]
The dominant press's reactions to Barack Obama's electoral and political successes do not augur well for a reinvigorated discussion of race in the U.S. Rather, textual analysis of news coverage of Obama's speeches and actions in the 2008 presidential race reveal a troubling split between articles that: (1) frame Black racial identity as a liability to be overcome; and (2) substitute discussions of Obama's racial background for discussions of racial disparities. Squires will critically examine the dynamics of this split, and critique its surrounding discourses.
