Xavier Pickett, "Rethreading Black Radicalism and Black Religion" ICM New Conversation

ICM New Conversations Series

Fall 2026

XAVIER PICKETT (Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, Cornell University)

"Rethreading Black Radicalism and Black Religion"

Goldwin Smith Hall, G22 | 4:45p.m. – 6:15pm.
Free and open to the public

The Institute for Comparative Modernities is pleased to host colleague Xavier Pickett for a new conversation about his current research, "Rethreading Black Radicalism and Black Religion."

Abstract

This talk reexamines the crucial relationship between Black radicalism and Black religion. It troubles a common interpretation that they are distinct or even antithetical. Since the Black Lives Matter movement, the idea of Black radicalism has become more popular. This talk argues for a method that rethreads contemporary Black radical thought back through the sources of its transformative power, Black religion. It explores the consequences of this approach for Africana Studies, the academic study of Black religion, and our contemporary moment.

Bio

Xavier Pickett is Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, and affiliate faculty member in the Religious Studies Program at Cornell University. His academic focus is on religion studies, specifically Africana religions, Black and womanist theologies, and Black religious radicalism of the 20th and 21st centuries, the topic of his book manuscript. His work appears in many platforms, including the journals Black Theology, Political Theology, and the podcasts on modern religious discourse. Before joining the faculty at Cornell in 2023, he held teaching positions at NYU, Princeton, University of Virginia, and North Carolina State University. He has a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as a Th.M from and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary, respectively, and a B.B.A. in marketing from Georgia State University. He has published in Prior to his academic career, he was an entrepreneur and worked in various industries including e-commerce, finance, and marketing. He was also the founding program director for a youth development program for middle school age males of color residing in Newark, New Jersey.