Black Age : Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life

**A view of transatlantic slavery’s afterlife and modern Blackness through the lens of age** Although more than fifty years apart, the murders of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin share a commonality: Black children are not seen as children. Time and time again, excuses for police brutality and aggression—particularly against Black children— concern the victim “appearing” as a threat. But why and how is the perceived “appearance” of Black persons so completely separated from common perceptions of age and time? __Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life__ posits age, life stages, and lifespans as a central lens through which to view Blackness, particularly with regard to the history of transatlantic slavery. Focusing on Black literary culture of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Habiba Ibrahim examines how the history of transatlantic slavery and the constitution of modern Blackness has been reimagined through the embodiment of age. She argues that Black age—through nearly four centuries of subjugation— has become contingent, malleable, and suited for the needs of enslavement. As a result, rather than the number of years lived or a developmental life stage, Black age came to signify exchange value, historical under-development, timelessness, and other fantasies borne out of Black exclusion from the human. Ibrahim asks: What constitutes a normative timeline of maturation for Black girls when “all the women”—all the canonically feminized adults—“are white”? How does a “slave” become a “man” when adulthood is foreclosed to Black subjects of any gender? __Black Age__ tracks the struggle between the abuses of Black exclusion from Western humanism and the reclamation of non-normative Black life, arguing that, if some of us are brave, it is because we dare to live lives considered incomprehensible within a schema of “human time.”

HONORABLE MENTION, HARRY SHAW AND KATRINAHAZZARD-DONALD AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN AFRICAN-AMERICANPOPULAR CULTURE STUDIES, GIVEN BY THE POP CULTUREASSOCIATION A view of transatlantic slavery'safterlife and modern Blackness through the lens of ageAlthough more than fifty years apart, the murders of Emmett Tilland Trayvon Martin share a commonality: Black children are not seenas children. Time and time again, excuses for police brutality andaggression-particularly against Black children- concern the victim"appearing" as a threat. But why and how is the perceived"appearance" of Black persons so completely separated from commonperceptions of age and time? Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans andthe Time of Black Life posits age, life stages, and lifespansas a central lens through which to view Blackness, particularlywith regard to the history of transatlantic slavery. Focusing onBlack literary culture of the late twentieth and early twenty-firstcenturies, Habiba Ibrahim examines how the history of transatlanticslavery and the constitution of modern Blackness has beenreimagined through the embodiment of age. She argues that Blackage-through nearly four centuries of subjugation- has becomecontingent, malleable, and suited for the needs of enslavement. Asa result, rather than the number of years lived or a developmentallife stage, Black age came to signify exchange value, historicalunder-development, timelessness, and other fantasies borne out ofBlack exclusion from the human. Ibrahim asks: What constitutes anormative timeline of maturation for Black girls when "all thewomen"-all the canonically feminized adults-"are white"? How does a"slave" become a "man" when adulthood is foreclosed to Blacksubjects of any gender? Black Age tracks the strugglebetween the abuses of Black exclusion from Western humanism and thereclamation of non-normative Black life, arguing that, if some ofus are brave, it is because we dare to live lives consideredincomprehensible within a schema of "human time."

HONORABLE MENTION, HARRY SHAW AND KATRINA HAZZARD-DONALD AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE STUDIES, GIVEN BY THE POP CULTURE ASSOCIATION A view of transatlantic slavery's afterlife and modern Blackness through the lens of age Although more than fifty years apart, the murders of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin share a commonality: Black children are not seen as children. Time and time again, excuses for police brutality and aggression—particularly against Black children— concern the victim "appearing" as a threat. But why and how is the perceived "appearance" of Black persons so completely separated from common perceptions of age and time? Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life posits age, life stages, and lifespans as a central lens through which to view Blackness, particularly with regard to the history of transatlantic slavery. Focusing on Black literary culture of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Habiba Ibrahim examines how the history of transatlantic slavery and the constitution of modern Blackness has been reimagined through the embodiment of age. She argues that Black age—through nearly four centuries of subjugation— has become contingent, malleable, and suited for the needs of enslavement. As a result, rather than the number of years lived or a developmental life stage, Black age came to signify exchange value, historical under-development, timelessness, and other fantasies borne out of Black exclusion from the human. Ibrahim asks: What constitutes a normative timeline of maturation for Black girls when "all the women"—all the canonically feminized adults—"are white"? How does a "slave" become a "man" when adulthood is foreclosed to Black subjects of any gender? Black Age tracks the struggle between the abuses of Black exclusion from Western humanism and the reclamation of non-normative Black life, arguing that, if some of us are brave, it is because we dare to live lives considered incomprehensible within a schema of "human time." "A view of transatlantic slavery's afterlife and modern Blackness through the lens of ageAlthough more than fifty years apart, the murders of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin share a commonality: Black children are not seen as children. Time and time again, excuses for police brutality and aggression--particularly against Black children-- concern the victim "appearing" as a threat. But why and how is the perceived "appearance" of Black persons so completely separated from common perceptions of age and time? Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life posits age, life stages, and lifespans as a central lens through which to view Blackness, particularly with regard to the history of transatlantic slavery. Focusing on Black literary culture of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Habiba Ibrahim examines how the history of transatlantic slavery and the constitution of modern Blackness has been reimagined through the embodiment of age. She argues that Black age--through nearly four centuries of subjugation-- has become contingent, malleable, and suited for the needs of enslavement. As a result, rather than the number of years lived or a developmental life stage, Black age came to signify exchange value, historical under-development, timelessness, and other fantasies borne out of Black exclusion from the human. Ibrahim asks: What constitutes a normative timeline of maturation for Black girls when "all the women"--All the canonically feminized adults--"are white"? How does a "slave" become a "man" when adulthood is foreclosed to Black subjects of any gender? Black Age tracks the struggle between the abuses of Black exclusion from Western humanism and the reclamation of non-normative Black life, arguing that, if some of us are brave, it is because we dare to live lives considered incomprehensible within a schema of "human time."-- EBSCOhost resource page, viewed October 19, 2021 Although more than fifty years apart, the murders of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin share a commonality: Black children are not seen as children. Time and time again, excuses for police brutality and aggression-particularly against Black children- concern the victim "appearing" as a threat. But why and how is the perceived "appearance" of Black persons so completely separated from common perceptions of age and time? 0Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life posits age, life stages, and lifespans as a central lens through which to view Blackness, particularly with regard to the history of transatlantic slavery. Focusing on Black literary culture of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Habiba Ibrahim examines how the history of transatlantic slavery and the constitution of modern Blackness has been reimagined through the embodiment of age. She argues that Black age-through nearly four centuries of subjugation- has become contingent, malleable, and suited for the needs of enslavement. As a result, rather than the number of years lived or a developmental life stage, Black age came to signify exchange value, historical under-development, timelessness, and other fantasies borne out of Black exclusion from the human.0Ibrahim asks: What constitutes a normative timeline of maturation for Black girls when "all the women"-all the canonically feminized adults-"are white"? How does a "slave" become a "man" when adulthood is foreclosed to Black subjects of any gender? Black Age tracks the struggle between the abuses of Black exclusion from Western humanism and the reclamation of non-normative Black life, arguing that, if some of us are brave, it is because we dare to live lives considered incomprehensible within a schema of "human time." Contents Introduction 1. Shape- Shifters and Body Snatchers 2. Vampires and Relics 3. The Mass and Men 4. Ghosts Epilogue: And with Black Children Acknowledgments Notes Index About the Author "Black Age argues that age tracks the struggle between the abuses of black exclusion from western humanism, and the reclamation of non-normative black life"-- Provided by publisher Introduction: Emmett's Face, Emmett's Flesh -- Shape-Shifters and Body-Snatchers -- Vampires and Relics -- The Mass and Men -- Ghosts -- Epilogue: And with Black Children