Todd Boyd: An African American Public Intellectual

Todd Boyd is not your quintessential public intellectual. At times his mannerisms, dress, vernacular, and subject of expertise would lead many to question whether Boyd is in fact, an intellectual. However, these initial judgments are rooted in an anti-intellectual hostility and elitist critique towards the study of humanities and art. It is important to note, as Professor Stephen Mack has in his essay “The Decline of Public Intellectuals?,” “what is sometimes identified as anti-intellectualism is in fact intellectual – that is, a well articulated family of ideas and arguments that privilege the practical, active side of life (e.g. work) over the passive and purely reflect operations of the mind in a vacuum.” In addition to Mack’s claim, the oppression of blacks for centuries has certainly led to new standards (or the abolishment of standards) for the African American public intellectual.

On his web site, author William Cook discusses the historic implications of white dominance over blacks and the effect this has had on African American intellectualism. Cook makes that claim that because Africans were forcibly brought to America, they are the only ethnic group that does not owe anything to anyone and are not subject to the established “American ideals of artistic and intellectual development because they inhibit the group’s progress.” It is truly hypocritical for white academics to set the standards for African American intellectuals, as they have been making false, discriminatory claims on African Americans for centuries. In the 1980 (summer) “Journal of American Culture,” author M. Fabre states: “It is clear that the scoundrel, the ape, the beast, the Black man are near equivalents…” And we thought now was the era of anti-intellectual thought. More recent remarks of degradation were articulated by Canadian Professor Philippe Rush in a 2001 article in Insight magazine: “What I've found is that in brain size, intelligence, temperament, sexual behavior, fertility, growth rate, life span, crime, and family stability, Orientals fall at one end of the spectrum, blacks fall at the other end and whites fall in between. On average, Orientals are slower to mature, less fertile, and less sexually active, and have larger brains and higher IQ scores. Blacks are at the opposite end in each of these areas. Whites fall in the middle, often close to Orientals.” The psychological implications from such statements have had detrimental effects on the psyche of African Americans, especially adolescents. As studies depict a direct correlation between self-esteem and academic achievement, African American public intellectuals must take on additional responsibilities.

As Mack points out, the concept of a public intellectual needs to begin with a shift from “categories and class” to “function.” Professor Todd Boyd is a clear illustration of an intellectual whose primary goal is that of function, both to inform and energize his listeners. Dr. Boyd is the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture and is a Professor of Critical Studies in the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He earned his PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa in 1991. Following graduation he taught briefly at the University of Utah before entering the Cinematic Arts department at the University of Southern California in 1992. Dr. Boyd has published six books, and has written numerous articles and essays for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, among many other publications. In addition, Dr. Boyd co-wrote the Paramount Picture film The Wood and his made numerous television appearances on programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Biography, and the Today Show. He is currently a columnist for the ESPN.com column Page 2, under the pseudonym “The Notorious Ph.D.”

Dr. Boyd’s controversial views have resulted in heated debates between other prominent African American intellectuals. Specifically, his recent book, (which Scott Smith critiques) suggests that hip hop has replaced the Civil Rights movement and is a more accurate representation of the Black Power movement. In contrast, author bell hooks believes that hip hop reflects "imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” Boyd disagrees and in an article with NPR, Boyd notes that hip hop reflects the current social problems of the African American community. "Hip hop is inherently political, the language is political," Boyd says. "It uses language as a weapon — not a weapon to violate or not a weapon to offend, but a weapon that pushes the envelope that provokes people, makes people think." Many African American public officials agree with Boyd. In an interview with Kam Williams, California Assemblywoman Maxine Waters states that one of her aims is “to get the hip-hop community more involved with public policy makers, so that they could begin to influence the thinking of older and mainstream people.” Ultimately, Hip hop serves as a forum for those that would otherwise go unheard. Like hip hop, Boyd gives an educated voice to his community while at the same time posing controversial views that further “boil the pot” in regards to culture and race. In addition, he has shown understanding of our commercially controlled media driven society and instead of fighting it, he uses it as a platform.

Both Boyd’s word choice and syntax reflect his innate ability to first engage an audience before discussing the main point of his argument. While some may argue that this cheapens Boyd’s work and status as an intellectual, I disagree. Boyd will use phrases such as “playa hater” to describe individuals who harbor jealous and animosity towards someone else’s success and popularity giving both Hank Aaron and John McCain as examples. Boyd is surely aware of his grammatical errors, yet his aim is to first attract individuals at all intellectual levels in order to engage in a more educated dialogue. While his approach may contribute to the anti-intellectual argument, his style is influential and contributes to further public discourse.

Todd Boyd further uses his role as a public intellectual to counter ignorance affecting African American culture. This past summer, police chief in Flint, Michigan, David Dicks, began instructing officers to start arresting individuals with sagging jeans. Those arrested would face jail time and hefty fines because Dicks believes the fad is an “immoral self expression.” In the third most dangerous city in America, according to Congressional Quarterly, Boyd’s first response in a Newsweek interview was: “Clearly there are more important things going on in Flint.” Boyd then goes on to discuss the historical fashion trend of sagging jeans noting that before labels such as Sean Jean and Rocawear, jeans were made too narrow for the black male body. In addition, many African American males were not able to afford new jeans and were required to wear hand-me-downs from older siblings, which attributed to the bagginess. While this issue may seem trivial, I would be furious if I received a fine for unfit clothes and like myself, I know these young individuals could not afford such a ridiculous expense. Todd Boyd was quick to address this economic concern facing the many African American intellectuals in Flint, MI. Were Noam Chomsky, or Fareed Zakaria going to publish an article in regards to this unreasonable law: Probably not.

It is unfair to compare the works of black and white public intellectuals, as their goals may be entirely different. While Christopher Hitchen’s seeks to engage a foreign policy conversation with the Slate magazine article “South Ossetia Isn't Kosovo,” Todd Boyd aims to educate the African American youth about culture awareness with a book titled “Am I Black Enough For You?: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond.” Is one cause more admirable, more intellectual than the other? Some still say yes, but I think it is a mistake to use the phrase “anti-intellectual” in reference to works of differing cultural concerns and will only result in additional strained race relations. And wasn’t it this pretentious attitude that created all the problems in the first place?

The Evolution of the Public Intellectual

For me, the notion of a public intellectual initially seemed like an oxymoron. The two are polar opposites, ignorant versus pretentious. The public, for the most part, purchases tabloids and watches superhero films, while intellectuals gather at MENSA meetings to discuss matters in private. Then again, this judgment is most likely a product of my Generation Y cynicism. It is just difficult to look at our current President and feel as though this is a nation that values (and votes for) intelligence.

The concept is certainly more realistic then my immediate reaction. The problem, however, is in the definition. For instance, who decides who gets to sit at this grown-up-table of knowledge and preach to us less informed? Should it be treated in the same manner as the title of Poet Laureate, in which the discretion is left to The Library of Congress. Surely these individuals are qualified to weigh the intelligence and influence of our nation’s brightest. Or should this democratic country leave the decision to the electorate: American Intellectual Idol? Both suggestions seem plausible but just because an opinion is deemed popular does not necessarily mean it is intellectual. Furthermore, we look to our public intellectuals as watchdogs of government and count on them to pose critical and often controversial views. Therefore, we would not want to encourage public intellectuals to stress mainstream opinions in order to seek popularity.

In addition, what are the qualifications for this esteemed title: a PhD, journalistic experience, a public office position, all of the above? Certainly not every college graduate with a web-blog can have the title of public intellectual on his or her business card. Historically, the term public intellectual lacked such ambiguity and was easier to define. For the most part, few individuals had the capabilities to publish their opinions for a larger audience. Thus, the intellectual pool was much smaller. However, we now live in the age of information, and this tidal wave of knowledge has had a drastic affect on the notion of the public intellectual.

Ultimately, there is simply no standard for publication anymore, as access to Internet remains the only requirement. With this, the once small pool of intellectual thought has grown into an ocean of opinions, as people must now sift through mass amounts of information in search of credibility. In Richard Posner Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline he uses the argument that such advances in media and communication have lead to a downfall in intellectual work. Posner’s main flaw is his misguided methodology in what he considers “media attention.” He relied on three Lexis/Nexis databases to compile a list of 571 public intellectuals, yet it seems he forgot to check the list over as he leaves out countless influential thinkers such as Christopher Hitchens. In general, I tend to agree more with Posner’s critics, including Carol Polsgrove, who in The American Prospect notes: "The 'Decline' in the subtitle is in fact hypothetical -- pure tease. Posner makes no attempt to trace a decline; this book is not a history."

Posner took the wrong approach in his analysis of the modern public intellectual. Such access to information should attribute to the advancement of the public intellectual, not the decline. Data and statistics are now readily available to members of every societal class and not solely the elite. Granted, false information is posted daily, but one should always remain critical of his or her source of information. In addition, we now have countless opinions and viewpoints to consider and comment on. And if anything, this saturation of news outlets, web sites, and blogs will encourage competition in which the best and brightest will prevail. The public intellectual now has the necessary tools with the ability to transfer his or her knowledge and create a more informed electorate.

With the Internet’s ability to update information by the second, ignorance can no longer be tolerated. Thus, the role of the public intellectual becomes even more important. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated it most eloquently in his essay the American Scholar:

“The office of the scholar is to cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them facts amidst appearances. He is one, who raises himself from private considerations, and breathes and lives on public and illustrious thoughts. He is the world's eye. He is the world's heart. He is to resist the vulgar prosperity that retrogrades ever to barbarism, by preserving and communicating heroic sentiments, noble biographies, melodious verse, and the conclusions of history.”

In his essay “The Decline of Public Intellectuals,” professor Stephen Mack suggests that the concept of public intellectual “begins with a shift from categories and class to function.” This is an important distinction because it allows us focus more on the work of the individual in comparison to his or her title and background. In addition, we are able to hold the public intellectual to a higher standard. They must not only be an expert in their academic field, but a voice for their community, activist, teacher, public policy advisor, etc. We demand a lot from our intellectuals, but at a time when such an admirable title is so undefined, they should expect such standards.

It is clear that there has been an expansion of public intellectualism, but unlike Posner believes, it is not for the negative. Rather the changes are linked to the cultural achievements of the 20th century. As our post-modern society has added new academic concerns, such as environmentalism, our progress has also allowed for the inclusion of intellectual individuals that 50 years ago would have been unable to gain public attention. I am speaking specifically about the African American public intellectual.

It was only 54 years ago that the United States Supreme Court ended school segregation in the Brown v Board of Education ruling. In the decades to follow, African American culture began to advance with the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and as more members of their community entered higher educational institutions. As a result, more studies were conducted in African American history and culture, and notions of race and race relations began to enter the world of academia. Subsequently, the public intellectual club has evolved and gained new darker members, amongst them, the Notorious Ph.D., Dr. Todd Boyd.