Imani Perry

Imani Perry is an American author, lecturer, and scholar of African-American studies and literature. Currently, she is the Hughes Rogers Professor of African-American Studies at Princeton University. Her book, Looking for Lorraine, received a National Book Critics Circle award nomination in 2019. Her writing, activism, and scholarship focuses on intersectionality, music and popular culture, race and gender, public policy, and criminal justice.

Early Life and Education

Perry was born on April 3, 1975 in Jamaica, West Indies to an African-American mother and an Afro-Caribbean father. She immigrated with her family to the United States when she was five years old. Perry attended Howard University, where she earned a B.A. in English and American Studies in 1996. From there, she earned her master’s degree and doctorate in American Studies at Yale University.

Career

Since 2006, Perry has been employed as the Hughes Rogers Professor in the African-American Studies Department at Princeton University. She is also an associate faculty member of the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Center for African-American Studies. Perry has also taught at Rutgers University, the University of Chicago, and Harvard Law School.

Books

In 2009 Perry published More Beautiful and More Terrible: The Embrace and Transcendence of Racial Inequality in the United States, which details histories of expanding rights for African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans, as well as the obstacles to equality throughout the nation’s history.

May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem was published in 2017. The book is an exploration of the message of the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” song as it has infiltrated culture and become a symbol of African-American pride and strength.

Perry’s highly acclaimed book in 2019, Looking for Lorraine, is an exploration of the life and artistic importance of Lorraine Hansberry. It focuses on the works, ideas, and struggles of Hansberry against multiple forms of oppression, including racism and misogyny. The book tells the story of Hansberry’s unwavering commitment to artistically telling the truth about African-American life.

Philosophical Outlook

Perry’s activism and writings are geared toward deepening our understanding of intersectionality – the notion that gender, race, and sexual orientation cannot be dealt with separately. Perry believes that dismantling systems of oppression requires a collective movement, and she encourages us to recognize complexity and possibility in our ethical and political deliberations. Perry also believes that art and literature are powerful forms of expression and protest and has used them to challenge social inequality.

Conclusion

Imani Perry’s work is essential in presenting the narrative of African-Americans, helping to bring attention to the issues and struggles men and women of color face in a predominantly white culture. As a Princeton professor, author, and activist, Perry’s messages of courage, progress, and resilience are increasingly important in the current climate. Her scholarship is a powerful reminder of the importance of collective action and the power of art and literature to bring about social change.