Ebony Utley

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Ebony Utley, Ph.D. is a professor of communication studies at California State University Long Beach, a public speaker, an entrepreneur and a certified yoga instructor.

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Obama’s Way With Words

Ebony Utley / Truthdig Oct 24, 2012 "Articulate While Black" moves us away from the content of the president's messages to an exploration of their delivery, and effectively parlays his style shifting from Black Language to white American English into a national conversation on how we see and hear race.The new book "Articulate While Black" moves us away from the content of the president's messages to an exploration of their delivery. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Race and Class, Past and Present

Ebony Utley / Truthdig Oct 10, 2012 Avery Arlington, the main character of the novel "Elsewhere, California," is someone you know: the awkward, only black girl in class, the girl hanging out at the 7-Eleven magazine rack wishing she was anybody but herself, and the artist whose work makes you uncomfortable.Avery Arlington, the main character of the novel "Elsewhere, California," is someone you know. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Slouching Toward Washington

Ebony Utley / Truthdig Apr 13, 2012 Mark Edward Taylor's "Branding Obamessiah: The Rise of an American Idol" lays out the six sacred branding strategies -- taken from the world of advertising -- used to turn a mere mortal from Chicago into the image of an American savior.Mark Edward Taylor's new book lays out the six sacred branding strategies used to turn a mere mortal from Chicago into the image of an American savior. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

‘Midnight’ and the Meaning of Trust

Ebony Utley / Truthdig Jul 15, 2011 Fiction is supposed to provide escape. Action/adventure romances are written for youthful readers and the young at heart, but Sister Souljah makes several choices as an author in her new novel, "Midnight and the Meaning of Love," that make it difficult to trust her. From the outset, "Midnight and the Meaning of Love" is an unbelievable story. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

The Double Life of a Hip-Hop ‘Mogul’

Ebony Utley / Truthdig Jun 17, 2011 Aaron "Big AT" Tremble, the main player in Terrance Dean's debut novel, "Mogul," is a music producer with a secret: He's on the up-and-up in his career, but he's also on the down low, struggling to come to terms with his sexuality at the risk of losing his family and his fame in the hip-hop industryIn Terrance Dean's debut novel, "Mogul," Aaron "Big A" Tremble is on the up-and-up as a music producer—but he's also on the down low. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )