St. Bonaventure has chosen “Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond” by Marc Lamont Hill as its common read for 2017-2018.
“Nobody” considers a string of high-profile deaths in America and incidents of gross negligence by the government.
To make his case, Hill recounts the details of tragedies like the death of Michael Brown and draws upon first-hand reporting and careful historical analysis to show how the “Nobody” class has emerged over time and how forces in America have worked to preserve and exploit this group in ways that are both humiliating and harmful.
"This is a book about what it means to be Nobody in twenty-first-century America. To be Nobody is to be vulnerable. In the most basic sense, all of us are vulnerable; to be human is to be susceptible to misfortune, violence, illness, and death. The role of government, however, is to offer forms of protection that enhance our lives and shield our bodies from foreseeable and preventable dangers. Unfortunately, for many citizens — particularly those marked as poor, Black, Brown, immigrant, queer, or trans — State power has only increased their vulnerability, making their lives more rather than less unsafe," writes Hill.
First-year students will receive copies of “Nobody” during orientation in July and are asked to read the book prior to the start of the fall semester. Students are engaged in conversations about the book’s themes in their SBU101 course and various campuswide events during the upcoming academic year.
The university will welcome Hill to campus Monday, Sept. 25, for the ABR 2017 Keynote Address.
More about Marc Lamont Hill:
- Has received numerous prestigious awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
- Will join the faculty of the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University this fall as the first Steve Charles Chair in Media, Cities and Solutions.
- Is the host of BET News and VH1 Live, as well as a political contributor for CNN.
- Was named one of America’s 100 most influential Black leaders by Ebony Magazine.
- Has been the Distinguished Professor of African American Studies at Morehouse College for the past three years.