In Black to Nature: Pastoral Return and African American Culture, author Stefanie K. Dunning considers both popular and literary texts that range from Beyoncé’s Lemonade to Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones. These key works restage Black women in relation to nature. Dunning argues that depictions of protagonists who return to pastoral settings contest the violent and racist history that incentivized Black disavowal of the natural world. Dunning offers an original theoretical paradigm for thinking through race and nature by showing that diverse constructions of nature in these texts are deployed as a means of rescrambling the teleology of the Western progress narrative. In a series of fascinating close readings of contemporary Black texts, she reveals how a range of artists evoke nature to suggest that interbeing with nature signals a call for what Jared Sexton calls “the dream of Black Studies”—abolition. Black to Nature thus offers nuanced readings that advance an emerging body of critical and creative work at the nexus of Blackness, gender, and nature. Written in a clear, approachable, and multilayered style that aims to be as poignant as nature itself, the volume offers a unique combination of theoretical breadth, narrative beauty, and broader perspective that suggests it will be a foundational text in a new critical turn towards framing nature within a cultural studies context.

Who is the human in media philosophy? Although media philosophers have argued since the twentieth century that media are fundamental to being human, this question has not been explicitly asked and answered in the field. Armond R. Towns demonstrates that humanity in media philosophy has implicitly referred to a social Darwinian understanding of the human as a Western, white, male, capitalist figure. Building on concepts from Black studies and cultural studies, Towns develops an insightful critique of this dominant conception of the human in media philosophy and introduces a foundation for Black media philosophy. Delving into the narratives of the Underground Railroad, the politics of the Black Panther Party, and the digitization of Michael Brown’s killing, On Black Media Philosophy deftly illustrates that media are not only important for Western Humanity but central to alternative Black epistemologies and other ways of being human.

In an other, Sharon Patricia Holland offers a new theorization of the human animal/divide by shifting focus from distinction toward relation in ways that acknowledge that humans are also animals. Holland centers ethical commitments over ontological concerns to spotlight those moments when Black people ethically relate with animals. Drawing on writers and thinkers ranging from Hortense Spillers, Sara Ahmed, Toni Morrison, and C. E. Morgan to Jane Bennett, Jacques Derrida, and Donna Haraway, Holland decenters the human in Black feminist thought to interrogate blackness, insurgence, flesh, and femaleness. She examines MOVE’s incarnation as an animal liberation group; uses sovereignty in Morrison’s A Mercy to understand blackness, indigeneity, and the animal; analyzes Charles Burnett’s films as commentaries on the place of animals in Black life; and shows how equestrian novels address Black and animal life in ways that rehearse the practices of the slavocracy. By focusing on doing rather than being, Holland demonstrates that Black life is not solely likened to animal life; it is relational and world-forming with animal lives.

"Beginning with a deceptively simple question--what do we mean when we designate behaviors, values, or forms of expression as "black"?--Evie Shockley's Renegade poetics teases out the more complex and nuanced possibilities the concept has long encompassed. She redefines black aesthetics descriptively, resituating innovative poetry that has been marginalized becuase it was not "recognizably black" and avant-garde poetry dismissed because it was"--Back cover.

As the practice of yoga continues to flourish within Western Black and Brown communities, this transformative, Black culturally centered toolkit highlights the barriers that hinder access to yoga. It takes core aspects of yoga philosophy and contextualizes it within Black cultural norms, religious taboos, and historical healing practices, and teaches readers how to foster a safe haven for their clients and communities. Based on decades' worth of experience and expertise, this dynamic author duo discusses important topics such as health disparities, complementary healthcare, and the rich heritage and resilience of Black communities. This is an invaluable and practical resource that offers practices and actionable guidance and supports practitioners to explore a Black culturally centered approach to yoga whilst facilitating better health and wellbeing for Black people.

"A collection of essays about the intersection of sports, race, and the media in the 20th century and beyond"--

Current debates on decolonisation call for academic disciplines, including the practitioners of Black theology, to reflect on its content and curriculum. This edited volume actively engages in these ongoing dialogues, specifically addressing the pertinence of a Black theology of liberation within the postapartheid landscape. It not only delves into the historical underpinnings of this theological framework but also endeavours to establish a conceptual framework for assessing its significance within the current discourse on decolonising theological disciplines. In addition to shedding light on the historical importance of Black theology, the late Vuyani Vellem poses a crucial question: “What lessons has Black theology yet to learn?” This inquiry by emerging South African scholars serves as a guide for navigating the path forward in developing this theological perspective. Beyond emphasising the historical context, the volume aims to contribute to broader discussions about social cohesion in South Africa, where conflicting socio-political narratives persist. This work adds to the theoretical development by grappling with the history of Black theological thought and influences contemporary engagements with theology. Its impact spans various levels, encompassing the reconsideration of Black theology’s influence on race, gender, politics, community development, and more. Ultimately, this volume serves as a catalyst for understanding and reshaping the discourse on Black theology, offering valuable insights for navigating the complexities of theological thought in today’s diverse and evolving landscape.

Jacqueline K. Kelsey, Ph.D. shows how true events from her life reflect alternative living and learning. She is able to encourage others because of her own creative life as an experiential teacher. Her professional research on imagination and nature provide her a philosophical base for inspiring herself and other sojourners.

Animating Black and Brown Liberation introduces a vital new tool for reading American literatures. Rooted in both ancient Egyptian ideas about life and cutting-edge theories of animacy, or levels of aliveness, this tool—ankhing—enables Michael Datcher to examine the ways African American and Latinx literatures respond to and ultimately work to resist hegemonic forces of neoliberalism and state-sponsored oppression. Weaving together close readings and politically informed philosophical reflection, Datcher considers the work of writer-activists Toni Cade Bambara, Cherríe Moraga, Gloria Anzaldúa, June Jordan, Salvador Plascencia, and Ishmael Reed, in light of theoretical interventions by Jane Bennett, Mel Y. Chen, Bruno Latour, Michel Foucault, Paulo Freire, and Erica R. Edwards. How, he asks, can cultural production positively influence Black and Brown material conditions and mobilize collective action "off the page"? How can art-based counterpublics provide a foundation for Black and Brown community organizing? What emerges from Datcher's innovative analysis is a frank assessment of the links between embodied experiences of racialization, as well as a distinctive vision of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American literature as a repository of emancipatory strategies with real-world applications.

Given the frequency of natural and man-made disasters and the degree to which ordinary citizens find themselves as first responders, this book offers some well-researched answers to the following and frequently asked questions: What motivates ordinary citizens to (or to want to) assist others in danger even when their own lives might be at stake? To what extent do human emotions influence public policy and administrative decisions on how to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to catastrophic events? How can governments better prepare for emergencies knowing these facts? The book goes further to suggest a number of strategies for policy makers, communities, and individuals to protect human lives and property. Tool kit URLs for preparing to different types of emergencies are included.