Lauren Michele Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr.
Lauren Michele Jackson
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|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BA) University of Chicago (PhD) |
| Occupation | Culture critic, scholar, writer |
| Known for | White Negroes (2019) |
| Title | Assistant professor |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Northwestern University |
| Thesis | Black Vertigo: Nausea, Aphasia, and Bodily Noise, 1970s to the present (2019) |
Lauren Michele Jackson was born in 1991. She is an American writer and a professor. She teaches English and African American studies at Northwestern University. Her first book, White Negroes, came out in 2019. It is a collection of essays that talks about cultural appropriation.
Contents
Lauren Michele Jackson's Career
Lauren Michele Jackson went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. There, she earned her first college degree, called a bachelor's degree. Later, she went to the University of Chicago. She earned her advanced degree, a doctoral degree, in English Language and Literature. Her big research paper for this degree was called "Black Vertigo: Nausea, Aphasia, and Bodily Noise, 1970s to the present."
Becoming a Professor
In 2019, Jackson started working at Northwestern University. She became an assistant professor there. She teaches in both the English department and the African American studies department.
Writing for Magazines
While she was studying for her doctoral degree, Jackson started writing for different magazines. This is called freelance writing. She wrote articles for popular places like Vulture, The Paris Review, and The New Yorker.
About Her Book: White Negroes
Jackson's first book is titled White Negroes: Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation. It was published in November 2019 by Beacon Press. The book looks at how cultural appropriation happens in music, art, and even internet memes.
What is Cultural Appropriation?
Cultural appropriation is when someone takes something from a culture that is not their own. They might use it without understanding its original meaning. Or they might use it in a way that is disrespectful. Jackson's book explores these ideas.
Inspiration for the Title
The title of her book was inspired by an older essay. This essay was written in 1957 by Norman Mailer. It was called "The White Negro".
Reviews of the Book
Alanna Okun reviewed Jackson's book for Vox. She wrote that Jackson uses many examples to explain cultural appropriation. These examples include famous people like the Kardashians and Miley Cyrus. Jackson explores the topic with a lot of thought and humor.
Later Work
In September 2020, Lauren Michele Jackson became a contributing writer for The New Yorker magazine. This means she regularly writes articles for them.
