A book coauthored by two professors with the Department of Communication and Film in 2018 has been released in paperback format and earned recognition from the National Communication Association.

“The Struggle over Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter” by Dr. Andre E. Johnson, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, and Dr. Amanda Nell Edgar, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, was recently awarded the 2019 African American Communication & Culture Division Outstanding Book Award by the NCA.

The book, which examines the intense dichotomy between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, examines the meaning behind these phrases from the perspectives of ordinary participants as they navigate social media and interpersonal relationships.

Johnson, whose work primarily focuses on Rhetoric and Media Studies, teaches classes in African American Public Address, Rhetoric Race and Religion, Media Studies, Interracial Communication, Rhetoric, and Popular Culture, and Hip Hop Studies.

Edgar joined the UofM Department of Communication and Film in 2015. Her research focuses on the intersection of media studies and contemporary rhetoric, with a focus on music, sound, and identity. She specializes in issues of race, racism, whiteness, and anti-Blackness as they intersect with other identities, particularly gender and class.

“The Struggle over Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter” is now available for purchase through Rowman & Littlefield and Amazon.