Dr. Robeson Frazier

Biography

Robeson Taj Frazier is a Professor of Communication and the Director of the Institute for Difference and Empowerment in Arts (IDEA) at USC Annenberg. His research focuses on Black Afro-diasporic political cultures, popular cultures, and intellectual histories, with an emphasis on cross-cultural contact and media art. Frazier has authored several influential books and produces multimedia and film projects that explore themes such as U.S. Black social movements, political ideologies, globalization, and cultural contacts between the U.S. and China. His notable works include 'KAOS Theory: Afrokosmic Ark' published by Angel City Press in 2023, and 'East Black: Cold War China Black Radical Imagination' from Duke University Press in 2014. The latter analyzes the political and cultural ties between China and U.S. Black political movements during the Cold War, highlighting media representation's role in this process. Frazier's work also includes the documentary film 'It’s Yours: A Story About Hip Hop and the Internet' (2019), which investigates how hip-hop artists utilize digital technologies to revolutionize the music industry and impact global youth culture. Raised in New York City, Washington D.C., and Montclair, New Jersey, he holds a BA in Africana Studies and International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in African Diaspora studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to USC, he has taught at New York University, Princeton University, and CUNY-Bronx Community College, and has extensive experience in history, arts, and culture education.

Research Interests

Courses