Special Talk on Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)

 

Presented by Justin Gomer (Associate Professor of American Studies, CSULB)

Moderated by Seung-hoon Jeong (Assistant Professor of Film and Electronic Arts, CSULB)

November 16, 2023 (Thursday), 2-3:15pm @ UTC-127

Justin Gomer, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of American Studies at California State University, Long Beach. His research and teaching focuses on racial formations, popular culture, and modern African American and United States history. Dr. Gomer is the author of White Balance: How Hollywood Shaped Colorblind Ideology and Undermined Civil Rights (UNC Press, 2020), which was named of “The Best Black History Books of 2020” by the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS). In addition, his work appears in Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society, The Washington Post, Boston Review, and Black Perspectives, among others. His research has been featured on NPR, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.

Dr Gomer will discuss the role of Rocky in shaping the racial ideology of colorblindness. He regularly teaches "Race and Hollywood" in the American Studies program.