Founding Director

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Dr. Neal A. Lester

Neal A. Lester, PhD, is Foundation Professor of English and Founding Director of the multiple award-winning Project Humanities initiative at Arizona State University. With expertise in African American literature and culture, Dr. Lester has authored or edited seven books and myriad essays and chapters on topics ranging from the race and gender politics of hair, Black masculinities, and African American folklore, to Toni Morrison’s children’s books. In addition to his publications on ntozake shange, Alice Walker, Sapphire, and Zora Neale Hurston, Dr. Lester has done pioneering work on the Nword, having created and taught the first college course on the Nword in the US.

His expertise on cultural appropriation, on everyday lessons in privilege and bias, and on humanities and entrepreneurship is nationally and internationally recognized. His expertise has led to interviews with CNN, USA Today, Good Morning America, The Special Report with Reva Martin, Newsweek, Your Teen (for Parents), Arizona Horizon, Raising Arizona Kids, Arizona Republic, Ahwatukee Foothills News, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has lectured in Ghana, Pakistan, China, Mexico, Italy, and Korea.

An award-winning teacher and popular radio guest, moderator, and panelist, Dr. Lester is editor of a forthcoming collection on global social justice, to be published in 2023 by the Modern Language Association, and guest editor of the special issue of Humanities on the topic of “African American Children’s Literature.”

In January 2022, Dr. Lester received Arizona State University’s inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Servant-Leadership Faculty Award, an accolade that follows other such MLK recognitions from the City of Tempe (AZ), the City of Phoenix (AZ), the Town of Paradise Valley (AZ).

In April 2023, Dr. Lester became the 21st recipient of the Gary Krahenbuhl “Difference Maker” Award, presented by the ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, for his sustained and impactful work as a faculty member whose teaching, research, and service center social justice and its connection to humanity.

Longer Bio

Awards & Accolades

Teaching

Dr. Lester Introduces African American Literature I (Beginning to Harlem Renaissance) via Short Videos

Collections & Videos

Explore the collections and stories within Dr. Lester's office.

Research by Dr. Lester

As a scholar of African American literature and culture, Dr. Lester is often called upon by local, national and international media and communities to offer commentary on the state of US race relations, past and present. Such commentaries cover such topics as the race and gender politics of hair, the Nword, cultural appropriation, and privilege and bias.

General categories of his research expertise are: Race Relations in America, Cultural Appropriation, the Nword, Politics of Hair, and Social Justice through Things and Stuff.

Race Relations in America

Videos

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Dr. Neal Lester reflects on being honored with the 2022 ASU MLK Faculty Servant-Leadership Award	16 Jan 23
Interview with Neal Lester : Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia	14 Sep 16

Articles

Educators craft, promote Black studies as other states limit how it’s taught	01 Feb 23
MLK Day a busy time for Ahwatukee professor at ASU	12 Jan 23
Abolitionist Newspaper Revived as Fight Over CRT in Schools Intensifies	23 Feb 22
Dr. Neal Lester Interview on Critical Race Theory	22 Sep 21
ASU academics work to dispel critical race theory myths	02 Sep 21
ASU Project Humanities event dispels myths about critical race theory	26 Aug 21
Facebook post sparks discussion of racism here	24 May 21
ASU professor’s project upholds MLK’s legacy in political climate, society	18 Jan 21
Lessons from the Past: Reflections on the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for our watershed moments	14 Jan 21
Systems of Privilege: A Conversation with Dr. Neal Lester	27 Jul 20
Digging up the roots of racism's serviceability	09 Jul 20
‎Polititeen: "Awareness to Action": Filling the Gaps in Our (Im) perfect Union ft. Dr. Neal Lester on Apple Podcasts	08 Jul 20
What should we do to fight racism? We are asking the wrong people	04 Jun 20
“No, I'm not okay"	03 Jun 20
America’s past and present: parallel plagues	14 Apr 20
What meeting Toni Morrison taught me	14 Aug 19
400 Years Forward Organizers Seek To Move The Conversation Beyond Enslavement	13 Aug 19
ASU scholars reflect on Toni Morrison's impact on literature	07 Aug 19
7 Metro Phoenix Creatives Share Reflections on Writer Toni Morrison	07 Aug 19
Gillibrand’s Racial Elephant in the Room	05 Aug 19
Schools keep teaching slavery and civil rights history in ways that traumatize black students	19 Apr 19
Schools Keep Defending Racially Insensitive Classroom Activities In A Worrisome Trend	18 Apr 19
BASIS teacher had class shame a black student for lesson on school segregation, mom says	15 Apr 19
Classrooms and race: “What about the children?”	16 Mar 19
'No Black bucks for Starbucks': Protesters at Phoenix Starbucks call company racist	21 Apr 18
‘Putting out a fire’: Racial-bias experts say Starbucks training is only a start \| AZCentral	17 Apr 18
Black Male Literary Scholarship and African American Children’s Literature: An Interview with Dr. Neal A. Lester of Arizona State University	03 Apr 18
Arizona ranks fourth in the nation for racial integration, study finds. \| KTAR News (Transcript)	10 Jan 18
Moore: Gender-equality movement could help spark new push in sports	06 Jan 18
ASU professors choose must-read books for college students	15 Nov 17
ASU Professor Discusses Criticism Over Slavery Computer Game	12 Oct 17
Parents Outraged After Phoenix Elementary School Students Instructed To Play Slavery Simulation Game	12 Oct 17
Slavery-simulation game causes outcry at Phoenix elementary school	11 Oct 17
Dr. Lester interviewed regarding "Children’s Literature and Race,” by Richard E. Ashby, Jr. \| Your Voice Your Choice, MPI-TX	02 Mar 17
University of Georgia visiting scholar	18 Sep 17
Obama Strikes 'Negro' and 'Oriental' from Federal Documents - Iowa public radio	31 May 16
Confederate flag debate reaches Arizona	22 Jun 15
Neal A. Lester on Once Upon a Time in a Different World	01 Jun 2008

Cultural Appropriation

Videos

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Articles

What Is Cultural Appropriation? Here's Why the Practice Is So Harmful—and How You Can Avoid Doing It	20 Aug 21
Brenly’s durag comment draws cries of racist undertones, cultural insensitivity	02 Jun 21
Gwen Stefani Pushes Back at Cultural Appropriation Critics, Newser	29 May 21
Gwen Stefani shoots down Harajuku Girls cultural appropriation claims, says people can 'share', USA Today	28 May 21
Justin Bieber’s Dreadlocks Spark Debate: What’s Cultural Appropriation versus Appreciation?, USA Today	01 May 21
Who Owns Culture? There’s a Legal Side to the Issue of Cultural Appropriation	04 Nov 20
A parents' guide to cultural appropriation: an expert breaks down kids' Halloween costumes, USA Today	18 Oct 19
Opinion: Friends don't let friends wear culturally inappropriate costumes	31 Nov 18
What makes a Halloween costume offensive?	26 Oct 17
There Is a Fine Line between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation, by Maria Idalis Harris, The State Press	27 Apr 17
ASU English Professor Talks Cultural Appropriation and Ableist Language, The State Press	01 Sep 16
ASU’s Project Humanities educates on cultural appropriation,” The State Press	12 Sep 15
ASU’s Project Humanities hosts 2nd symposium on cultural appropriation, ASU News	10 Aug 15
ASU’s Project Humanities explores cultural appropriation, ASU News	30 Jan 15
Playing Black’ for Laughs, Learning for Justice	10 Jan 14

Nword

Videos

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Articles

Black man killed in Kansas City as assailant hurled n-word. That’s not a hate crime? \| Opinion	02 Aug 23
Why shrugging off Joe Rogan's use of the n-word is so dangerous, CNN	13 Feb 22
Classrooms grapple with racial slurs in classic American novels	27 Jun 21
Allen Johnson: White is Black, up is down and the n-word’s OK?	11 Apr 21
Students rally behind Black Tampa school cop fired for using racial slur	23 Mar 21
No Desis, you cannot say the N-word.	14 Dec 20
Academic freedom and the N-word, University Affairs	21 Aug 20
Your big questions about race, answered	14 Aug 20
Ron Jans used the most loaded word in the English language	17 Feb 20
What Do You Do When Your Young Child Uses the N-Word?	10 Dec 19
Should Schools Have an N-Word Policy? Uproar Over Guard's Firing Forces Hard Questions	31 Oct 19
Liberty schools officials must combat racism in the district \| The Kansas City Star	21 Jun 19
Recent Incidents Remind Us The N-Word Should Never Be Tolerated \| Twin Cities	09 Jun 19
Viral video of AU student using n-word prompts outrage from student body	07 Apr 19
Ortiz: You have no business saying the N-word if you’re not Black	25 Mar 19
History Behind N-Word Emphasizes Impact	01 Feb 19
At the Intersection of Language and Culture: Rap and the N-Word \| by Nathan Graber-Lipperman \| UNPLUGG'D MAG \| Medium	23 Sep 18
Beyond Bob Lamey and John Schnatter: Why a racial slur with an ugly past continues to divide	18 Sep 18
The G-L Review Ep. 15: Dr. Neal Lester On Rap, Culture, And The N-Word	16 Dec 18
Workshop with Neal A Lester, PhD: Straight Talk About the NWord	13 Sep 18
From Muhammad Ali to Charles Barkley, How the Use of ‘Ni**a’ in the Media Shows How Black America Lost Its Way	06 Dec 17
Paula Deen, Trayvon Martin, the Shadow of Racism and the Power of “the N-word”	06 Dec 17
'To Kill a Mockingbird' banned in Mississippi school: ASU reacts	26 Oct 17
School assignment on the 'N-word' angers parents	17 Oct 17
Controversy Stirs Over Jackson Students' Photo	14 Oct 17
Considering the N-word: To reject or reclaim?	28 Sep 17
How a childhood friendship intersected at Georgia - UGAGS Magazine	12 Mar 17
Neal Lester discusses social consequences of the N-word	19 Sep 16
Neal Lester visits UGA to speak about representation of black males - The Red & Black	18 Sep 16
Straight Talk about the N-Word & related events at UGA	17 Sep 16
Discussions on the N-word: Neal Lester to speak	14 Sep 16
Talk about the 'N-Word': UGA Student Organizes Concerts, Lectures, and Discussions on Race	14 Sep 16
Yes, I Want To Talk About The N-Word	16 Aug 16
'Compared to IRA massacres N-word row can seem trivial'	07 May 16
N-word controversy at Phoenix high school altered their senior year, changed district's efforts to combat racism	02 May 16
How does the article "The N-Word: Connected Through Historical Disconnect?" relate to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in chapters 8-11?	20 Apr 16
Straight Talk About the N-Word - Predictions, Prose, and Politics	02 Apr 16
The N-Word Special Report: Chapter II	30 Feb 16
Lester: Yes indeed folks, in our own backyard...	29 Jan 16
Is it 'just a word'? Questions, comments about the N-word controversy at Desert Vista, also in USA TODAY	28 Jan 16
ASU professor weighs in on DVHS Controversy	26 Jan 16
WTHR BLOG: Why is the "N-word" still offensive?	25 Jan 16
Has the N-word lost its meaning to kids?	23 Jan 16
BSA, students discuss the ‘N’ word	18 Nov 15
The N-word in America: a term loaded like no other	26 Jun 15
The "N-word" for "negro", the most taboo word in the United States	25 Jun 15
The 'N-word' is 'the most powerful word in the English language'	25 Jun 15
Obama’s use of N-word raises a question: Is it ever OK?	23 Jun 15
How do African Americans in South Jersey feel about the n-word?	22 Jun 15
Prediction, Prose and Politics: STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT THE N-WORD The Connotations of Thug, the N-Word, and Other Racial Slurs - Breaking Bias	02 Apr 15
The Connotations of Thug, the N-Word, and Other Racial Slurs - Breaking Bias	29 Mar 15
What Am I Saying When I Say 'Nigger'?	23 Mar 15
Straight Talk About the ‘N-Word’: Arizona State Professor Brings His Message to Nearby Oak Park Library	01 Oct 14
Sticks and Stones: When kids use the N-word	25 Jul 14
The N-Word: Connected Through Historical Disconnect?	21 Apr 14
Professor puts the ‘N-Word’ under microscope	13 Mar 14
The N-word Loses Another Follower	13 Feb 14
ASU professor: N-word transcends history	13 Feb 14
Straight Talk about the N-Word,” with Dr. Neal Lester	09 Feb 14
What’s Up, My ’N’ positive discourse on a negative word	07 Feb 14
Our conversation about a word that starts with ‘N’	29 Jan 14
Why Do Some People Use The N-Word?	23 Jan 14
The N-word and the American psyche	10 Sep 13
Lester: The infamous N-word continues to wreak havoc on American popular psyche	10 Sep 13
Syracuse fires DPW worker for calling himself the N-word	13 Aug 13
How Would You Kill The N-Word? : Code Switch: NPR	13 Aug 13
Hair and the 'n-word': Connecting with Neal A. Lester	16 Jul 12
N-word 101: College class studies story behind the slur	30 Sep 11
Nigger - Analyzing Fences	01 Aug 11
12 Most Controversial College Courses Ever Offered	17 Mar 11
Coming to a college course this fall: “The N-Word"	22 Jun 10
Sticks and stones may break my bones...: Airbrushing the Ugliest of Ugly in African American Children's Books	01 Sep 01

Politics of Hair

Videos

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Articles

Gov. signs executive order banning hair discrimination

- Additional Coverage:

Governor Hobbs Signs Order Banning Hair Discrimination \| 12News/ Arizona	17 Mar 2023
Governor Katie Hobbs Signs Executive Order Race-Based Prohibiting Hair Discrimination \| AZGovernor.Gov	17 Mar 2023
Gov. Hobbs signs order banning discrimination based on hair textures, styles \| AZFamily	17 Mar 2023
Arizona governor signs executive order banning hair discrimination \| Fox10 Phoenix	17 Mar 2023
Arizona Governor Signs Order Barring Hair Discrimination \| Tucson.Com	18 Mar 2023
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Signs Order Barring Hair Discrimination \| Arizona Daily Star	18 Mar 2023
Hobbs Signs Order Banning Hair Discrimination in Arizona Agencies She Controls \| The Daily Independent	19 Mar 2023
Gov. Hobbs Signs Executive Order against Hair Discrimination towards Black Arizonans \| kawc.org	20 Mar 2023
Arizona Governor Signs Executive Order Banning Discrimination Based on Hair Style or Texture \| Cronkite News/ PBS	20 Mar 2023
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Signs CROWN Act-inspired Executive Order Outlawing Discrimination Based on Hair \| LocalToday	20 Mar 2023
Katie Hobbs Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Hair Discrimination \| The Lumberjack, Northern Arizona University	23 Mar 2023
Local Prof Hails Governor’s Hair Discrimination Ban \| Ahwatukee Foothills News	25 Mar 2023
CROWN Act prevents discrimination based on natural hair or texture \| Arizona PBS	30 Mar 2023

20 Mar 23

Personal, Political And Professional: Everyone Has A Hair Story

06 Jan 20

Professor explores hair’s cultural implications for African-Americans

08 Aug 15

‘Classic’ invisibility: Illusory ‘universals’ exclude, marginalize

29 Jul 15

Thieves Steal $50K Worth Of Weave From Chicago Beauty Supply | MadameNoir

26 Jun 14

Special Issue, “The Why and the Where of Hair,” The Lion and the Unicorn, Volume 37, Number 2

01 Apr 13

Digging at the roots while going for gold -- Gabby Douglas’ hair

11 Aug 12

These are some hairy times, The Washington Post

02 Jun 11

Race Lecture Connects Hair Portrayals to Self-Image, The State Press

10 Oct 10

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair

13 Nov 09

Nappy Edges and Goldy Locks: African Americans and Hair

26 Jul 05

Nappy Edges and Goldy Locks: African-American Daughters and the Politics of Hair, The Lion and the Unicorn

01 Apr 00

Roots That Go Beyond Big Hair and a Bad Hair Day: ‘Nappy Hair’ Pieces, Children’s Literature in Education

01 Sep 99

Social Justice through Things and Stuff

Featured

Event Testimonials

Testimonials from Beyond Books: Social Justice through Things & Stuff- Carl Hayden Community High School

"Hi Dr. Neal Lester, I just wanted to start off this email by thanking you for coming to Carl Hayden Community High School and speaking to me...

"Hello Dr. Lester, . .[T]hanks for bringing the university to our students...

"Hi Neal, I am so glad you had a good experience with the students...

Testimonials from Beyond Books: Social Justice through Things & Stuff- Summer Institute for Culturally Responsive Education

"I would love to have the opportunity for our students to have a chance to explore Dr Lester's collection...

Testimonials from Diversity in the Workplace: Strategies and Strategizing- American Psychiatric Association

"I just wanted to reach out to say thank you for being our speaker yesterday...

Videos

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Articles

Dr. Neal Lester Vital Voices: Beyond Books	19 Jan 23
Interactive exhibit demonstrates the effect 'stuff' can have on racial representation (By ASU News)	22 Oct 21
Curating Identities in the “Other” Office: My “Colored Museum” (By Dr. Neal Lester)	23 Jan 21

Learning for Justice (Blog, Southern Poverty Law Center)

Articles

“Boys Know What Girls Want”: Messages in Popular Music

Do boys know what girls want? You might think so if you believe everything you hear in pop songs.

Cheerios Ad Touches Racial Nerve

A recent Cheerios commercial reminds us of the historical roots of race in the United States. Those roots still cause social and political upset.

Classic Invisibility

Just because a bookshelf is full of "classics" doesn't mean it holds universal life lessons.

For White Allies in Search of a Solution to American Racism / When Folks of Color Are Exhausted

Racism, white privilege and white supremacy are challenges that people of color neither created nor should be expected to resolve. This scholar encourages white allies to step up.

“No, I Am Not OK.” Thanks for Asking.

As protesters across the nation rise up against police violence and systemic racism in support of Black lives, there’s something white allies need to recognize.

No Joking Matter: Words and Disability

While we are increasingly aware of the need to address racist, sexist, homophobic, ageist and classist language, ableist language is too often disregarded.

“Playing Black” for Laughs

A viral video sensation raises important questions about media constructions of “whiteness” and “blackness.”

Proposed Bill: An Ethnic Studies Ban "on Steroids"

Exploring our differences does not divide us; it highlights our identities and reveals our shared humanity.

'Redskins,' Names and Being Named

Controversy over a team name opens a national dialogue about race, identity and what’s in a name.

Teach the Talk, Don’t Ban the Book

In the past few weeks, we’ve included more than 20 articles in the Intellectual Freedom News about the To Kill a Mockingbird challenge/withdrawal/return-with-permission slips case in Biloxi, Mississippi. None of those articles have taken up what I think is the central issue in this case: teaching students to talk about controversial issues in and through literature.

The Disturbing “Monkey Business” of U.S. Black-White Race Relations

Representations of black people as animals is both a past and present manifestation of the United States’ complicated history with race.

'Tis the Season: Christianity and Jesus in Black and White

What message does a white Jesus send to Christians who are not white?

The Infamous N-word

No matter the spelling or context, the n-word remains intertwined with American racial tensions past and present.

The N-Word: Connected Through Historical Disconnect?

Dr. Neal Lester talks about meeting folks across the country who want thoughtful, informed and critical conversation about the troublesome n-word.

To Know Our American History Is to Know Ourselves

What does the rise in hate groups and hate crimes say about our American history and American democracy when all lives should matter?

“You Guys”?

In a world where words matter, why is there little to no real critical conversation about the mixed-gendered use of “you guys”?

Moderating Discussions

Videos

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Articles

Arts and Humanities: Essentials, Not Extras: The State of Black Arizona, Volume IV

2015