WASHINGTON – (October 15, 2018), Howard University Lecturer Roger Caruth, J.D., Ph.D., will present his digital humanities project and research, “Poitier And Belafonte: Portraits of Black Masculinity” at the African American History, Culture and Digital Humanities Conference “Intentionally Digital, Intentionally Black.” The conference will take place on Saturday, October 20 at the University of Maryland College Park, with Caruth’s presentation at 1:40 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

“There are four areas of common intersections that sparked my interest in both Belafonte and Poitier: their Caribbean roots, experiences coming of age in Harlem, their accomplishments in the entertainment field, and how they leveraged their celebrity to advance the various causes of the civil right movement and social justice overall,” said Caruth.

“The notion of Black masculinity has always been of interest to me, however, it has become more of a focus given the current climate we’re in – culturally, politically, socially, etc.,”

According to Caruth, the project will be situated within the framework of visual grounded theory, which will be used to interrogate a mixture of images during the 70-year friendship of Belafonte and Poitier. More specifically, these photographs will be used to probe their West Indian beginnings, American Negro Theatre careers, celebrity status, and public and private lives as civil rights activists.

He also theorizes that this exploration may uncover socioeconomic conditions of the Black community as it relates to class, culture, politics and race from their perspectives, allowing for the construction of narratives that will be offered in this final digital presentation.

“Looking at what the perception of what a Black man should be in America and beyond, versus how we are generally perceived, needs to be challenged and countered. Therefore, I think looking historically at some of our heroes and public figures provides a point of reference we can lean on as a starting point,” said Caruth. “Through this journey I hope provoke discussion about the role of celebrity and status and how it can be used societal good regardless of the possible circumstances.”

To attend the presentation, visit: https://aadhum.umd.edu/conference/registration/

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(pictured above is Roger Caruth, Ph.D. Photo courtesy of Imani Pope-Johns)

About the Cathy Hughes School of Communications

The Cathy Hughes School of Communications (CHSOC) is the third largest of Howard University’s 13 academic schools and colleges. In the 2014-2015 academic year, SOC enrollment was 1,002. For more than 44 years, the School has trained journalists and media communication professionals through five of the most premier advertising, audio production, journalism, media management and public relations programs in the world. SOC graduates are known at the local, national and global levels for their leadership within and across diverse communities through communication research, professional practice, innovation, job creation, social justice, and service via cutting-edge knowledge, skills and technology. To learn more, visit http://communications.howard.edu/#

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States.  For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu

Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu