Mark Anthony Neal, PhD '96

Black male feminist

Mark Anthony Neal, PhD ’96, jokes that if you “Google” the term “black male feminist,” his name will invariably show up near the top of the search results.  His work, and life, are dedicated to challenging sexism and misogyny, but he uses the moniker black male feminist purposely, saying, “It is important for me to frame it as a black male feminist because, while there are many men out there who call themselves feminists, the last thing we think of when we think of black men in American society is feminism.”  He also likes the term to enable people to “rethink black masculinity in the 21^st century.”  An associate professor of black popular culture in the Program in African and African-American Studies at Duke University and a nationally recognized scholar, Neal has been examining issues of race, gender and sexuality for more than a decade.

Greatest gift

After earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from SUNY Fredonia, Neal sought a more interdisciplinary field for his doctoral studies.  The Bronx native says that UB’s nationally renowned American Studies program allowed him to live near his wife, who was then working at Fredonia.  He also appreciated the program’s progressive philosophy.  “There was a real commitment to issues of social justice amongst the faculty there,” Neal says.  “It was appealing to do work on a high scholarly level that was also very conscious of the impact of issues like sexism, racism and homophobia.  That is what I found attractive about the program initially, and that is one the greatest gifts that I took from the department.”

Equally influential was Neal’s relationship with his dissertation director, Alexis DeVeaux of the Women’s Studies Department.  As a beginning doctoral student Neal felt it was important to find an African American advisor who could shepherd him through the program.  Neal says of his mentor DeVeaux, “She introduced me to this wider range of black feminist writers and gay and lesbian writers.  It really changed the trajectory of the work that I would do for the rest of my career.  Now ten years after I left UB we have cultivated a closer relationship where we are also friends.”

Natural Performer and Scholar

Neal completed his PhD in three years, and was on faculty at SUNY Albany for the next six.  After a brief stint at the University of Texas at Austin, Neal was recruited to Duke University, where he now teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in black popular culture, black masculinity and hip hop aesthetics.  He calls himself a natural performer, and says that he loves the dynamic exchange of the classroom.

Neal is equally passionate about his scholarship, which includes four books, numerous book chapters, journal articles and pieces in national media.  He says that his second book, Soul Babies, which examines black popular culture since the end of the civil rights movement, is probably his favorite.  Neal observes that while black popular culture is very visible now and is generating a great deal of wealth, he is concerned that “culture in general has become more of a commodity than something that people use to help them get through their lives.”

Two of Neal’s books, What the Music Said and Songs in the Key of Black Life, examine the ties between black music and culture in the post-civil rights movement.  Neal came by his love of music from his father, who listened to gospel quartets and rhythm and blues while Neal was growing up.  “As I got older,” Neal says, “I found myself being drawn back to that music because it helped me to connect how important these forms of music were for black people in the post civil rights movement.  In that regard, my love of music became very personal and I used it to talk about the humanity of black folks as it related to the music that was produced by them.”

Success Stories

Neal has two upcoming books, ThugNiggaIntelletual, a collection of essays about the performance of blackness in black popular culture, and Street Dreams, which examines rhythm and blues music as a mirror into African American middle class lifestyles.  One of the highlights of his career was writing New Black Man:  Redefining Black Masculinity.  Neal says, “It gave voice to my experiences at UB, and is very much a tribute to Professor DeVeaux and the path I took to become a black male feminist.  There are scholars who often go unsung, and I think it is important that there are folks out there that help to produce people who go on to do great work.  I know that I do the great work that I do because of Professor DeVeaux.”

Neal, who has two daughters, still maintains close ties to UB.  In 2005, he spoke for the Women’s Studies Department as part of Black History Month, and he has many dear friends in the area.  He is proud of his UB education and the opportunities it afforded him.  “I like to tell people that I am a SUNY baby,” Neal says.  “It is really important that you have an institution like SUNY, were you can still get an affordable and quality education.  The number of success stories of people who come from UB and SUNY campuses shows that.”

Written by Jessica Dudek, BA '94
May 2006

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