The Meaning of African American Studies

Plus: the Ukraine crackup in the G.O.P.; “Knock at the Cabin”; and recommendations from our food critic. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, February 3, 2023 In today’s newsletter, Florida’s curriculum wars, and then: • The Ukraine crackup in the G.O.P. • The eroticism of an IKEA bed • Anthony Lane on “Knock at the Cabin” The Meaning of African American Studies The discipline emerged from Black struggle. Now the College Board wants it to be taught with barely any mention of Black Lives Matter. Robin D. G. Kelley photographed by Keith Oshiro When the College Board was first piloting its new Advanced Placement class in African American studies, the head of the organization touted the role that the Movement for Black Lives had played in spurring the creation of the course. But, this week, when the College Board released its revised curriculum, it lacked mention of the recent social-justice movement—and the organization had made other changes that dovetailed with specific complaints from the Florida Department of Education, which had stated that the course “lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law.” To cut through some of the bad-faith culture-war noise that has surrounded this story, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor speaks to Robin D. G. Kelley, a professor of history at U.C.L.A. and one of the scholars whose work was removed from the revised course, about what the discipline really aims to pursue—and what students from all backgrounds stand to gain from its study. “The subject of African American studies, even before it was called that, has been not just the condition of Black people but the condition of the country,” Kelley says. “And not just narrating that oppression and understanding it . . . but also understanding what’s wrong with this country, with the system.” Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Letter from Biden’s Washington The Ukraine Crackup in the G.O.P. Republicans aren’t united with one another, never mind with Joe Biden. By Susan B. Glasser The New Yorker Recommends On Fridays, we’ve been spotlighting recommendations from New Yorker contributors. Today, we spoke with the food critic Hannah Goldfield, who writes the weekly Tables for Two restaurant column. Best use of food in something I’ve seen recently: I expected to hate but in fact loved the movie “The Menu,” which uses food in almost every scene. I went in knowing very little and was delightfully surprised by all the twists, so I don’t want to give too much away. But here’s a funny example that won’t spoil anything: the restaurant dinner that the plot centers on includes a course of tortillas that are laser-engraved with images personalized to each guest, sort of like latte art. Later, s’mores are also played to excellent effect—and that’s all I’ll say about that. 📺 Best recent meal that I didn’t eat in a restaurant: I worry that I’ll sound too self-congratulatory when I say that I made it myself, for a very small dinner party one recent Saturday—however, I can’t really take credit for it. I followed, to the letter, a Nigella Lawson recipe that I’ve found to be foolproof. It involves searing a whole chicken and then boiling it (plus carrots, leeks, and aromatics) in water in the oven. After an hour and fifteen minutes, you add orzo to the liquid, and pop it back in for another fifteen. When it’s done, you remove all the bones, which slip out easily from the meat (I use tongs for this), stir it all up, and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. It makes for the most glorious one-pot meal, somewhere in between a brothless chicken-noodle soup and a risotto. It’s extremely impressive to guests (not to mention family members) and easy even for beginner cooks, if you don’t mind a bit of chopping and handling a whole chicken. I served it with a baguette and a simple green salad, and, because one guest was celebrating a birthday the next day, a homemade vanilla cake, with rainbow sprinkles added to the batter for a Funfetti effect, and Duncan Hines vanilla frosting and more sprinkles on top. 🍲 The last thing I read that I can’t get out of my head: I keep thinking about a book that I read last year: “Endurance,” by Alfred Lansing. First published in 1959, it’s an incredibly detailed and gripping account of Ernest Shackleton’s failed 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and it simply blew my mind. I always joke that I’d be the first to give up during any kind of natural disaster, which makes the psychological and physical resilience of the survivors of the calamitous expedition even more astonishing, although I suspect it would astonish just about anyone. I read it after tearing through another true story of unlikeliest survival: “Alive,” by Piers Paul Read, which was a best-seller when it came out, in 1974, and tells the story of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes. (Trigger warning: cannibalism.) I am always eager for suggestions of other tales of extreme adventure. 📖 Editor’s Pick Onward and Upward with the Arts Hildegard of Bingen Composes the Cosmos How a visionary medieval nun became a towering figure in early musical history. By Alex Ross Culture Dept. Page-Turner The Eroticism of an IKEA Bed In “Couplets,” Maggie Millner uses rhyme, confession, and surprising metaphor to create a fresh portrait of desire. By Kamran Javadizadeh The Front Row The (Mostly) Disheartening Outliers on This Year’s Oscar Slate Andrea Riseborough’s curious nomination is one of several clues to the biases of the Academy’s acting branch. By Richard Brody The Current Cinema The Phantom Menace of “Knock at the Cabin” M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller abounds in compositional devilry, but the frights don’t leave a lasting impression. By Anthony Lane Fun & Games Dept. Sketchbook A George Santos Guide to Lying Learning to fib with the New York congressman. By Barry Blitt Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts Introducing PenceGPT, from the Makers of ChatGPT You may be wondering, What can I expect from a chatbot that generates text based on Mike Pence’s speeches and interviews? Well, look no further than this handy guide. By Prabha Kannan Crossword A Themed Puzzle Overheard in . . . By Robyn Weintraub and Caitlin Reid Daily Cartoon Friday, February 3rd By Brooke Bourgeois P.S. There’s a suspected Chinese spy balloon moving high over the United States, according to the Pentagon. (China has said that it’s a civilian weather tracker that was blown off course.) Strange inflatables in the sky remind one of the “balloon boy” hoax, of 2009, and the story of a California truck driver named Larry Walters, who, in 1982, flew sixteen thousand feet into the air on a lawn chair tied to dozens of helium balloons. George Plimpton looked back on the tale of Lawn Chair Larry. Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.