The Rock Newman Show: Interview with Dr. Craig Stephen Wilder

Introduction

• Special broadcast from WHUT Howard University Television.
• Host: Rock Newman.
• Guest: Dr. Craig Stephen Wilder, author of "Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities."

About the Author and Book

• Wilder spent 11 years working on the book.
• Describes the book as "thorough."
• Focuses on the history of race and slavery in American universities.

Dr. Wilder's Background

• Grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
• Experienced neighborhood changes due to poverty and drug wars.
• Mother worked hard to provide education for Wilder and his siblings.
• Education played a pivotal role in Wilder's life.

Education and Inspiration

• Attended Fordham University; experienced misrepresentation of Black communities in education.
• Inspired by professors to become a historian.
• Completed dissertation on Brooklyn's history at Columbia University.

Key Historical Insights

• Discovery: Slavery was significant in the North, contrary to common beliefs.
• New York was a major slave-holding colony during the American Revolution.

Impact of Historical Research

• Focus on Black abolitionists and their struggle for education.
• Discusses exclusion from American colleges and universities.
• Illustrates the role of colleges in perpetuating racial myths and defending slavery.

Colleges and Slavery

• Colleges played a significant role in the slave trade and perpetuating racial myths.
• First medical schools in America used bodies of slaves for dissection.
• Intellectual legitimacy for racial ideologies was constructed in colleges.

Native Americans and Colleges

• Colleges participated in cultural warfare against Native Americans.
• Missionaries were trained to convert Native populations.

Personal Reflections

• Dr. Wilder reflects on his own education at historical institutions.
• Emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and understanding history.

Contemporary Relevance

• Discusses the need for truth and reconciliation in confronting America's past.
• Highlights the reluctance of political leaders to address these issues.
• Believes people are ahead of politicians in dealing with history.

Conclusion

• Encourages reading "Ebony and Ivy" to understand the impact of historical truths.
• Dr. Wilder aims to make history visible and accessible to students of all backgrounds.
• Emphasizes the need for honesty in academic institutions regarding their historical roles.