Wow! Those white folks sure have the job descriptions!
“Leonard’s work is linked by its commitment to examining the ways in which racial meaning is constructed, transformed, and challenged across time and space. It focuses on the manner that representations and dominant discourses teach race within the popular imagination. His work also explores narratives and ideologies within a myriad of popular cultural spaces, examining the ways in which media culture becomes a space of contestation, rearticulation, reification, and even resistance. ...........”
Research
While seemingly disparate in topic, ranging from the prison industrial complex to the NBA, from post–Katrina hip-hop to Shawn’s Green’s religious/baseball identities, Leonard’s work is linked by its commitment to examining the ways in which racial meaning is constructed, transformed, and challenged across time and space. It focuses on the manner that representations and dominant discourses teach race within the popular imagination. His work also explores narratives and ideologies within a myriad of popular cultural spaces, examining the ways in which media culture becomes a space of contestation, rearticulation, reification, and even resistance. Dr. Leonard investigates popular culture as both a space of violence/white supremacist affirmation and opposition. Focusing on sports, he underscores the importance of the historic moment of production and consumption, thinking through what we can learn about race, gender, nation, and class through examining popular cultural representations and audience reception.
Research Interests
Comparative ethnic studies
African American studies
Video games
Popular culture/racialized representations
Cultural politics of sport
Race and sport (NBA)
Black popular culture (film, television, and hip-hop)
Social movements (grassroots organizing)
Black freedom struggle
Prison industrial complex
Teaching
While at Washington State University, Dr. Leonard has taught and/or developed a myriad of classes, including the following:
Introduction to Black Studies
Hip Hop around the Globe
From Malcolm to Black Panther Party
Cultural Politics of Sport
Black Freedom Struggle
Black Popular Culture
Cinematic Representation of Blackness
Race, Gender, and the Prison Industrial Complex
Race and Popular Culture
Global Inequality
Social Justice and American Culture
Theories of Racism and Ethnic Conflict
This doof studies “Race and sport (NBA).”
Well, there we have a perfect example of black privilege. The NBA discriminates against young white men and I hope the professor is trying to do something about that.
Many a young white boy has yearned to become an NBA star but only a few (nowhere near the white percentage in the population) ever achieve that goal. This is institutional racial discrimination at its best.
I know a young white man who is 5’9” and weighs 140 pounds who will never be allowed to play in the NBA. This injustice means he will never have the joy of signing a $50 million NBA contract due to the racial inequities practiced by the NBA.
And this travesty is supported by the white majority who spends hours watching the NBA and spends billions supporting is sponsors, thus betraying their own sons who are largely restricted from becoming NBA stars. This must stop! We must stop supporting the racist NBA and its racist stars!
How does that sound, professor?
By the way, you look like as ass wearing that stupid hat.
Where do you live? I want to see your house and your neighborhood.
I made the mistake of looking at the perfesser’s website. It’s ureal how low our universities have sunk. This clown has real white guilt problems. In my opinion, parents who foot the college bills for their offspring would be well-advised to look a bit deeper before cutting the checks.