Street Scholar: Using Public Scholarship to Educate, Advocate, and Liberate

STREET SCHOLAR is an unapologetic call-to-action that challenges the Academy to thoughtfully and intentionally engage in public scholarship. Dr. Angel Jones introduces us to a "street scholar" - someone whose mission, movements, and motivation are rooted in activism and community uplift. Jones describes her journey through academia as an Afro-Latina scholar who uses social media to peel back the curtain on the ¿ivory tower¿ and make her scholarship accessible to all. She uses her platform to liberate, educate, and advocate for social justice. STREET SCHOLAR is an appeal for academic scholarship to be in conversation with the community it serves, and it offers a framework to make public scholarship a tool for liberation. ¿Academics often throw around words like 'engaged scholarship' or 'praxis' when what they mean is 'sometimes I spend time with people outside the academy.' Angel Jones presents us with a volume that demonstrates what it means to build knowledge from the ground (or should I say, street) up. This should be on every educator's bookshelf!¿ ¿Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Dr. Angel Jones' work is on time. By challenging traditional research paradigms in the digital age, she is providing us with steps and guideposts to battle the latest iterations of white supremacy. In a world that moves at break-neck speed where history is erased and misinformation reigns supreme, we must not overlook the importance of the dissemination of justice in real time." ¿Dave Stovall, author, professor, and critical race scholar "Angel is an unapologetic Black woman who is dedicated to advocating for our community. I engage with her content because I appreciate her and the unique ability she has to address controversial topics in a way that is educational and thought-provoking. Her work is important and she is setting the example for what it means to use our platforms to benefit the greater good.¿ ¿Amber Riley, award-winning actress, singer, and activist "With a mission of educate, advocate, and liberate, this book breaks down the importance of the active nature of this work. There is nothing submissive about this book. This is a goal oriented, results centered, action plan and a must read.¿ ¿Etan Thomas, NBA veteran, author, and activist