Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Hip Hop DJ, Culture Critic Jay Smooth to Speak April 22 on Fostering Racial Diversity, Inclusion

Wednesday, April 17, 2019, By Kathleen Haley
Share
Diversity and InclusionfacultyspeakersstaffStudents
head shot

Jay Smooth

Acclaimed DJ and hip hop culture critic Jay Smooth will speak on Monday, April 22, at the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3, on fostering racial diversity and inclusion, student engagement and free speech versus hate speech. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will include a Q&A with the audience.

The Office of the Interim Chief Diversity Officer is partnering with Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and the Student African American Society to bring Smooth to campus.

As the former host of “The Underground Railroad,” New York City’s longest-running, hip-hop radio program, and the popular video blog “The Ill Doctrine,” Smooth has established himself as a unique and leading voice at the nexus of sociopolitical issues who brings a singular perspective on society and culture.

“Diversity comes in many forms. Being inclusive of racial diversity is another dimension of excellence. Difference should never mean devaluation,” says Interim Chief Diversity Officer Keith A. Alford. “I am excited because I believe Jay Smooth will further enlighten us toward greater understanding of each other. I am looking forward to Monday’s event.”

Students, faculty and staff are all invited to attend the event, which will add to the continuing conversation on diversity and inclusion on campus, says Alexander Tsemberis ’21, co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.

“This event is a beautiful example of what can be achieved when different student groups work together with the administration toward a common goal and shed light on an important topic,” says Tsemberis, a sophomore in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School. “This will be a very exciting night that we hope will lead to an insightful and productive conversation on how we can further improve our SU community.”

“Race matters for students, and it is important that we respect our differences. We can make our campus environment better when we appreciate each other,” says Abigail Covington ’19, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and a senior class marshal. “I am hopeful that Jay Smooth’s conversation will move us in the right direction.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided. For more information about the event, email interimCDO@syr.edu.

Smooth enlightens with poignant observations about music, race, politics and other important cultural and social issues, while promoting the importance of mutual respect. On “The Underground Railroad,” Smooth helped break artists, including the Wu Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, Jean Grae and Natural Elements.

Through thoughtful examination, Smooth makes sensitive topics like race remarkably accessible, demonstrating the power in actively engaging in direct conversation about complex subjects. He credits his mixed race heritage for his “unique position to travel between different worlds” and to help facilitate healthy discussions about race and racism.

Smooth challenges audiences to set aside what they think they know about race, politics, hip-hop culture and other social issues with insightful commentary that expands perceptions. He has been featured by NPR, CNN and MSNBC.

Smooth’s videos on “Ill Doctrine,” including his video about how to start conversations surrounding issues of race, have become part of the curriculum in many schools and universities, and his TEDx talk, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Talking About Race,” has been among the most widely viewed on the TEDx website.

  • Author

Kathleen Haley

  • Recent
  • Doctoral Candidate Wins Grant for Research on Infrastructure, Violence and Resistance in Pakistan
    Friday, August 1, 2025, By News Staff
  • Co-President of Disability Law Society Eyes Career in National Security Law in Washington
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By Jordan Bruenger
  • Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Diane Stirling
  • After Tragedy, Newhouse Grad Rediscovers Her Voice Through Podcasting
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Chris Velardi
  • Back-to-School Shopping: More Expensive and Less Variety of Back-to-School Items
    Tuesday, July 29, 2025, By Daryl Lovell

More In Campus & Community

Doctoral Candidate Wins Grant for Research on Infrastructure, Violence and Resistance in Pakistan

Bramsh Khan, a Ph.D. candidate in social science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been awarded a prestigious Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grant. The Wenner-Gren Foundation, established in 1941, is dedicated to advancing anthropological knowledge throughout…

Co-President of Disability Law Society Eyes Career in National Security Law in Washington

Kaitlin Sommer L’26 is always planning ahead. Throughout her life, she has continuously asked herself, “Is there a better or more efficient way to do this?”, “Am I advocating for what I need?”, “How can I figure this out by…

National Grid Summer College Scholars Program Invests in Energy Literacy

National Grid and Syracuse University’s Office of Pre-College Programs have partnered to inspire the next generation of innovators through the National Grid Summer College Scholars Program. The program will support selected Syracuse City School District high school students for the…

Bowlers Wanted for Faculty and Staff Bowling League

Do you enjoy bowling? Would you like to try bowling? Are you looking for a fun activity with your colleagues? The Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Faculty and Staff Bowling League is seeking new…

Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts

Nearly 30 Syracuse University faculty and postdoctoral researchers and nationally known thought leaders who study the wealth gap in America explored the issue at a recent event in New York City hosted by the Lender Center for Social Justice. The…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.