The Tara Lake Show

Thank you for joining me this week for the conclusion of this special series on poet, author, activist, and educator Frances E.W. Harper. Just last week, we marked the 196th anniversary of Frances E. W. Harper, on September 24. As we continue to celebrate her impact as a visionary leader and thinker during this season of gratitude and remembrance, it’s an honor to bring you this special interview with Dr. Utz McKnight. Dr. McKnight is Associate Professor in Political Science and Chair of the Department of Gender and Race Studies at the University of Alabama. His book Frances E. W. Harper: A Call To Conscience, was published in December of 2020 on Polity Press.

Dr. McKnight discussed the enormity of Harper’s legacy as a a thriving activist, literary artist, author, orator, community leader, and educator. He highlighted the role of race and gender in her reception by the general public and by leaders in Nineteenth Century African American protest movements, and he also discussed Harper’s most popular fictional work, revealing more about what it offers for readers today.

More About This Podcast At: www.TaraLakeShow.com

Link: Dr. McKnight’s Web Page

Dr. McKnight’s Book: Frances E. W. Harper: A Call To Conscience

Podcast: Play in new window

Welcome back to the Tara Lake show!

This is the third installment of my series on Frances E.W. Harper, which celebrates the oratory of the Nineteenth Century Philadelphian and African American poet, author, abolitionist and suffragist. It has been an honor to share this series in recognition of Harper’s amazing work, which spanned decades, crossed two centuries, and continues to impact us so meaningfully today. This series ran from the spring through the fall of 2020, and this third and final installment coincided with the occasion of America’s Election Day weekend in November, 2020. I created this series — serving as writer, editor, producer and voice performer — to illuminate the power of Harper’s language in her extraordinary, decades-long crusade for justice. Harper’s speeches provide a unique perspective into the political, social, and cultural landscape of the Nineteenth Century. Frances E.W. Harper’s steadfast commitment to truth allowed her to call out injustice and racism in ways that are rarely heard even today.

Please visit www.TaraLakeShow.com for more information.

Podcast: Play in new window