Dent, David J.

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DENT, David J.

PERSONAL:

Male. Education: Morehouse College, B.A. (political science), 1981; Columbia University, M.S. (journalism), 1982.

ADDRESSES:

Office—New York University, Department of Journalism, Arthur Carter Hall, 10 Washington Pl., New York, NY 10003; fax: 212-995-4148. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Journalist, educator, and author. Has worked as a television reporter for the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (ABC); New York University, New York, NY, associate professor of journalism and mass communication. Contributing correspondent to Black Entertainment Television News; has also appeared as a commentator on Court TV.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Award of Excellence, National Association of Black Journalists, 1990, for television news series "Brothers in Arms"; Freedom Forum Foundation Grant for Journalists in Education, 1990; Teaching Fellowship for Outstanding Broadcast Journalism Professors, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, 1992; Griot Award, New York Association of Black Journalists, 1992, for "The New Black Suburbs"; Golden Dozen Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service, New York University, 1993; Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting, Print/Minority Audience, Lincoln University, 1993.

WRITINGS:

In Search of Black America: Discovering the African

American Dream, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2000.

Contributor to New York Times, Washington Post, Vibe, Black Renaissance, Playboy, Essence, Black Enterprise, and Christian Science Monitor.

SIDELIGHTS:

When journalist David J. Dent was assigned to write an article about the "black rage" that resulted in riots in Brooklyn, New York, in 1991, he decided to do his research by hanging out on a Brooklyn street corner frequented by black youths. Instead of being confronted with angry young men, however, Dent discovered conversations about sports, values, money, music, women, and careers. "They were not victims waiting for Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan … to rescue them," wrote Dent in his book, In Search of Black America: Discovering the African American Dream. "Nor did they possess a blind optimism and belief in the purity of American meritocracy in the vein of Shelby Steele or Thomas Sowell. Their views were harsh, masculine and real."

Dent realized he had discovered a part of black culture seldom seen in mainstream media. He began a four-year voyage of discovery across the nation to investigate the lifestyles and attitudes of what he calls the "secluded spaces of black culture in America"—African Americans of the middle and upper-middle classes. During 350 hours of interviews, he talked to business people, artists, bounty hunters, bowlers, teachers, and preachers, avoiding celebrities and hostile, inner-city youths most commonly portrayed to the general public.

Of these efforts, Amy Alexander wrote in Black Issues Book Review: "Dent plumbs the hopes and dreams of many blacks who have 'made it' economically, but whose spirits are still dampened by white racism and discrimination on some level or another. To his credit, Dent does a fabulous job of telling their stories." APublishers Weekly reviewer also commented, "Candid and consistently engaging, Dent's work contributes to a better understanding of the role of race in American life."