In a time where the nation is in turmoil, Wittenberg University’s Julius Bailey, associate professor of philosophy, is providing insight and guidance on social change and having a social voice.
Bailey, who teaches philosophy and African American Studies at the University, is a philosopher, Christian existentialist, cultural critic, social theorist, diversity lecturer, and the author of five books, including his most recent release in February 2020, Racism, Hypocrisy and Bad Faith: A Moral Challenge to the America I Love (Broadview Press), and the award-winning book No. 4 Racial Realities and Post-Racial Dreams: The Age of Obama and Beyond.
Described by Harvard professor and author Cornel West as a “powerful text,” Bailey’s latest work examines current public discourse and its impact on ethnic minorities and low-income groups. According to Amazon and Barnes & Noble reviews, the book explores “the current state of hypocrisy and mistrust in the American political system, especially as these affect ethnic minorities and low-income groups. In powerful and inspiring prose, Bailey writes with a voice well informed by current events, empirical data, and philosophical observation. Bailey looks at the causes and consequences of this new era and applies his passionate yet astute analysis to issues such as hate speech, gerrymandering, the use of the Confederate flag, and America’s relationship with the gun.” See full description here: https://bit.ly/2B00K4A.
“Obviously, I am excited about this project as I firmly believe this is my best writing to date,” Bailey said. “It is nuanced, rhetorically subdued, yet piercing in thought chiefly aimed to engage in moderate engagement of our nation’s social issues.”
Bailey was recently excited to learn that the NFL has ordered two copies of his book.
“The feeling one gets when an order comes in on your website from a Park Avenue address one naturally gets curious. Looked the address up and BOY OH BOY – the NFL – ordered two copies of my new book. They probably heard of Chapter 8 – the rationale for Colin Kaepernick’s moral stance.”
Bailey also recently found out that publishers of his book, Broadview Press, will be donating a percentage of revenues on all further sales of Racism, Hypocrisy, and Bad Faith, to the following organizations:
- The Movement for Black Lives - https://m4bl.org/
- Color of Change - https://colorofchange.org/
- Black Lives Matter - https://blacklivesmatter.com/
“Because it is in part an academic text, we expect its audience to grow as the new academic year gets underway,” said Stephen Latta, philosophy editor and lead business analyst at Broadview Press. “But it’s also suitable for a broad audience of general readers, as it speaks directly to many of the important cultural issues of racial injustice and inequality that are rightly in the public eye.”
Interviewed on CNN, Fox, B.E.T, and ABC Nightline over the years, Bailey has been a guest on numerous radio shows as a social critic and education advisor. He is often sought out to speak at colleges, prisons and community organizations across America. He also completed a memoir, Be-Longing: Triumph in the Mirror, a self-published piece of narrative non-fiction and lyrical coming-of-age story about himself, a troubled kid from the south side of Chicago and how he battles haunting demons in search for love and acceptance.
“Wittenberg has allowed me to create events, discussions, and classes that diversify and broaden the hearts and minds of our students,” said Bailey, who holds master’s degrees from Howard and Harvard Universities and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He has been at Wittenberg since 2011. He is also the founder of Project Eight, a youth service organization that focuses on leadership and civic participation.
Bailey’s other books released since joining Wittenberg include The Cultural Impact of Kanye West (Palgrave, 2014) and Philosophy and Hip Hop (Palgrave, 2014).
