‘I wanted a professor like me’ – a hip-hop artist explains his turn to academia

The media plays an important role in the way people learn to view themselves and others. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

Jabari Evans, associate professor of race and media at the University of South Carolina, studies the messages that media produce about the representation of race and how that can impact marginalized groups, particularly the Black community. Below are some highlights from an interview with The Conversation. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Jabari Evans explains his career path.