Funk the Clock: Transgressing Time While Young, Perceptive, and Black

Funk the Clock challenges traditional sociological theories of time by revealing how time is racialized, how race is temporalized, and how racism takes time. It provides examples of Black youth constructing alternative temporalities that center their lived experiences and ensure their worldviews, tastes, and culture are relevant and up-to-date. By upending what we think we know about time, it forges new directions in the study of race and time, centering Black youth as key collaborators in rewriting knowledge.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2024
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Funk the Clock is a thought-provoking book that delves into the experiences of individuals who are often considered symbols of the future but are denied a place in the present. It serves as both an invitation and a provocation for Black youth to defy the hands of time and embrace their unique perspectives. Author Rahsaan Mahadeo challenges conventional sociological theories of time by unveiling how time is racialized, race is temporalized, and racism takes time. Through his in-depth study of a youth center in Minneapolis, Mahadeo showcases how Black youth are constructing alternative temporalities that center their lived experiences and ensure their worldviews, tastes, and culture remain relevant and up-to-date.

These stories possess the potential to expand the sociological imagination, making the familiar (i.e., time) strange. Funk the Clock offers a fresh approach to the study of race and time by challenging our preconceived notions and placing Black youth at the forefront of rewriting knowledge. By doing so, it contributes to a more inclusive and equitable understanding of the complexities of time and society.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501774218