Introduction: When and Where We Enter

W hen we fi rst began to assemble this In Focus on black media, our excitement was quickly tempered by the enormity of the undertaking. Should the essays focus on mainstream or independent media? Would the contributors emphasize texts, pedagogy, or research? To what extent should we address issues of identity facing not only this type of scholarship but also the scholars themselves? Ultimately, we decided to take on all these questions, using Stuart Hall’s provocation “What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?” as both prompt and connective thread. Written in 1992, Hall’s essay still carries particular resonance for this contemporary moment in media history. Hall makes it clear that issues of identity, representation, and politics will always converge around blackness. Further, Hall’s own academic background reminds us that, as a fi eld, black media studies has always drawn on discourses and scholarship from multiple academic disciplines. This context is particularly important