Begin Again: Fighting for Democracy in the Age of Trump

The talk begins with a reflection on James Baldwins formulation in Just Above My Head. Responsibility is not lost; it is abdicated. If one refuses abdication then one begins again. Here the fight for democracy, in this moment with the erosion of norms and the fragility of democratic institutions, requires of us, in our specific places and in full light of the kind of society we want, a different kind of struggle and a more robust political language. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of African American Studies at Princeton University. Whether he is teaching in the classroom, writing in popular magazines, or offering commentary on television, Glaude is driven by a commitment to think carefully with others in public.