Associate Professor of History
Japanese History in global and comparative perspective, Comparative study of black and Asian people, Global white supremacy
The structure in back of me is Ise Jingu, the Grand Shrine of the Shinto goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami, or great divinity illuminating heaven, which in modern times became the main Shinto shrine and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Japan. She is hailed as the ancestress of the imperial house and thus, of all Japanese.
The woodblock print depicts a famous scene from Japanese mythology, Amaterasu emerging from the heavenly rock cave to which she had retreated, taking sunlight from the earth. The sun goddess is in the middle panel. The print is the work of Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864) one of Japan’s most celebrated artists.
As you will have surmised, I offer courses in Japanese history that cover Japan from prehistory to the present day. I also engaged in the comparative study of how Asian descent and African descent people have responded to global white supremacy, both in the US and in Asia. I am also keenly interested in theater and fiction and have written several plays and novels. My play Kamioroshi: The Descent of the Gods was performed at Boston University in December 2019, directed by Sonoko Kawahara and choreographed by Momo and Kevin Suzuki.
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I believe that the questions and issues I have outlined above are essential for understanding the problems facing the 21st century world, particularly for “non-white” populations, and for attempting to find solutions to them. I hope you will join me in my quest for comprehension and resolutions that may assist us in achieving a just, equitable and peaceful future world.