The Stacks Ep. 384 Black Genius Is Not an Outlier with Tre Johnson
Aug 13, 2025
Tre Johnson, an essayist and culture critic, joins to discuss his debut book, *Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy*. He shares how his grandfather inspired the book and the evolution of his writing process. The conversation dives into the challenge of balancing a 9-5 job with writing and the emotional toll of addressing trauma in his work. Tre also explores the importance of recognizing everyday Black ingenuity beyond famous figures and the nuances of cultural validation. His reflections on leaving a corporate job to focus on writing reveal a profound shift in his creative journey.
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Genius Is Everyday And Place-Based
- Tre Johnson reframes 'Black Genius' as cultural, place-based ingenuity found in everyday Black spaces like homes, churches, and schools.
- He rejects focusing only on famous figures to show genius is widespread and ordinary in Black communities.
Genius Includes Joy And Practical Ingenuity
- Johnson links cultural genius to joy, mobility, and survival rather than treating them as mutually exclusive categories.
- He argues celebrating genius reveals joy and practical strategies embedded in Black cultural life.
White Validation Isn't The Source Of Genius
- Johnson critiques the narrative that white recognition validates Black genius and instead highlights how white attention often seeks to control or squash Black innovations.
- He emphasizes Black cultural creation often exists and evolves independent of white validation.