thanks a lot. >> it's my pleasure. >> a couple interviews from book tv college series. first booktv interviewed professor john l. jackson jr. about his book racial paranoia. the interview was conducted at the university of pennsylvania annenberg school of communication. ..

is. >> i argue when you think about a country like united states trying to work after its own history of racial antagonism, 1 mile is we transcend to build a multiracial community but posters reality by oppression hopefully we will move beyond it. but they both fall under that umbrella. >> host: go to the second example of a ignoring race. why it's important?

>> it is important not to make a fetish but not to discuss it means it is already in the room but we have to be careful that is the historical position we have been through this but now to move forward to pretend we have not run this are already? to know what we want the community to become the look of the differences that divide us. it is a fine ninth to make too much or make a fetish are everyone could have a vested interest. >> host: professor jackson what is the role of political correctness?

at. >> guest: it is easy to take the pot shot but it tries to place a premium on its ability. we don't want to offend our make them feel uncomfortable but when that is connected to an aversion to of any discussion at all but when you don't talk about race in the network is not divers here have a limited sense you get those from television or magazines for you don't have real relationship -- relationships. to put this into a position you don't have an investment. so that means you will try

to find a way to pursue a. but political correctness means it is dangerous to have the lack of engagement but with a commitment of civility to talk seriously about those issues that concern us. we need to find a way we should not say the things we need that those that we imagine will not offend. the political correctness still does not stop the oppression from race. one thing is an example of the idea, it is powerful

with the political moment of the lead up last year. what people talk about there is something going on americans to be the first black president almost and aesthetical to participation. they say white americans could never do that. put the time obama talk explicitly about race. >> that a powerful moment is the first black president talks the least about race. it is the third and fourth and fifth rail. , part of what he tried to do was say let me say

something that will bring people together then i won't have to bring it up again. the americans are so fatigued about race, resistant that to bring up that too often they will disqualify from the highest office in the land. but there are ways to address with differences that down to invoke race. but we don't have to have race specific programs to have race equality. but the irony is prepositioned the you would qualify yourself.

of so that means he could negotiate this incredibly difficult scenario to stand for the racial possibilities but that would define disqualification. >> host: are white americans particularly oversensitive or to careful about the race card? >> guest: we are all sensitive. but i feel like the difference is often there is a way you can imagine what america in say get over race and move on. we don't have to wallow in what is so pernicious.

so it is easy to imagine a project that says if we stop talking about race will end racism is a political perspective. so understand the contention because white americans want to imagine because they get to the first black president very publicly why do you drag us back? about free civil-rights america. are we different now? is put in what way? had recanted you to push ourselves as exclusive as we can? but listening not just

talking. but the atf to live to the other person's shoes. but use of portion of the five. that is what produce the first black president there browning of the electorate that that fear and anxiety is legitimate and we all need to leave cognizant and listen to the side to find the common ground to where we can feel good to what is possible. especially collectivity. >> host: what you teach? >> guest: i am a filmmaker

so right now we focus on graduate courses that films can be a medium for scholarship. for those that write these books but if you make a film then everybody would see the project. that is the incentives but it might allow you if you use film to tell a story it might allow you to say different things about the world. but a visual dissertation to think about producing knowledge these images and sound account as scholarship

the way a journal article would count not just the public scholarship. we do that across the graduate curriculum. and finishing a syllabus now how to do anthropological research. so how do we recalibrate for these interesting concept? >> host: who is anthro man? >> guest: a super hero alter ego. news speak to fox and talk to them one of my problems as a fledgling anthropologist was i was

incredibly shy. it was difficult to do research people i did not know so anthro man was the character i wanted to pretend to go out and introduce my a -- i self. eventually i did not need him anymore but there is something about being the anthropologist because what defines people? busy ambitious project but it is a place to mark that ambition. that it would take a hit herculean feats but anthro man is my way to play with man is my way to play with

that. >> host: what is your background? >> guest: native new yorker from brooklyn mostly mostly, a public-school, a case to 12. brooklyn technical high school was almost 5,000 people. then washington d.c. as a undergraduate and went to howard university then i went into anthropology where i could make a film set if i was the sociologists are political scientist thought that i could do it as a hobby but to use this fairway they do with anthropological research that i could make the movies but also to go out to the world but what howard could

not teach me but we were still using 16 mm film that does this kid doesn't know about the world go out and learn? that is how i ended up in anthropology. >> host: what did your parents to? >> guest: my mom and dad both were working class, both in the medical profession they both worked in bellevue hospital as a dietary aide. my mom went back to school to get her college degree to become a social worker.

they were continuing the struggle so to this day tried to better themselves to gain more knowledge from any crevice that they could so i got that you never try to stop learning for what you can do to be productive so say model that as a dietary aide dennis social worker to build a life. >> host: where did you get your ph.d.? >> guest: columbia. 2001 then at cambridge in massachusetts by to do film work and then off to the

races. >> host: this is your third book? what could we learn from dave chappelle? >> guest: the quintessential example of someone who had enough of a certain version of race. he was famous for saying things how complicated and messy race could be that was funny but poignant and he decided he would not do his show anymore even with $50 million there is a way he was using race that was backfiring to reinforce america's worst animus' we thought he could not distinguish between progressive comedy. >> host: are we paranoia about stereotypes?

>> by aid definition we're both very sensitive eyes and a psychologist to say that only do we negotiate the when we operate in space it enhances performance but to reproduce or d construct this is where people mention that when they see us they think they have the short-handed version. to make sure what they see is not what they get. with that empowered notion especially if we're different.

>> and let you feel we learned from the member of congress, as cynthia mckinney trying to get into her place of employment? >> it is a new once example of why people can become so frustrated. it is never the explicit issue. nitrite to go to a space where i belong in somebody tries to stop me it must be something other than i don't have my id. but in those instances we see racial paranoia not just a four marginalized population even when we're

at the top of the game that folks seem to be that there is no open and shut case with the black hat bad guy a cop does not say racist things as a security guard you don't belong here because you are black by it is politically correct to do that work anyway without ever invoking race at all but it is more slippery than a quintessential way than you imagine. >> host: in your view are white people unfairly tarnished with the race card brush? do you include examples?

>> one of the things i decided to focus on how african-americans understand race but that is a natural way to respond given how what race functions also it is unproductive to box ourselves into a corner. b.a.t. is not just a way to out to the people the koch a moment that is not productive for anyone but let there is no planet to ships them to but sometimes those things that are frightening or offensive we don't have the luxury but

maybe to get people to think differently of there understanding of the world we have to start with building real relationships that they will not have the language or facility because they don't have to cultivate that. if so we would go to our corner not have a conversation. how do we live with difference to build the possibility of having serious substantive dialogue. >> host: three books. a force in the works? >> guest: is an interesting project about the trans national spiritual community first from liberia.

and very few people talk about the committee that this jury how this community uses it as a base to connect from five different continents. that this chain of begin restaurants throughout united states to use this technology to build this transnational community. and to bring that to a wider audience. >> host: it will be several months before is published? >> guest: it will come up the end of 2013. >> host: talking to professor john jackson, jr.. here is the book "racial

paranoia" the unintended consequences of political correctness" this is booktv on c-span2. >> host: booktv on c-span2 on location at the university of pennsylvania in philadelphia. at the annenberg school of communication currently joining us is the theme michael x. delli carpini what is the annenberg school of communication? >> we do research for the

public consumption and a ph.d. training and graduate training that media and communication influence social practice and health and cultural practice. >> we're here to talk about your book "after broadcast news" media regimes, democracy, and the new information environment" but it seems that we have been to be -- debating the broadcast news scenario. to put it into historical context the basic argument is over the last 20 years there is a number of changes changing the