'What freedom looks like in 2017': Scholar and CNN contributor to explore Juneteenth at UAA

If you're a regular CNN or Fox viewer, you've seen Dr. Marc Lamont Hill sparring with Bill O'Reilly or weighing in on topics like police brutality and use of the N-word.

On Thursday, June 15, the professor, author and host of BET News will speak as part of University of Alaska Anchorage's Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Texas proclaimed the abolition of slavery throughout the South.

"It's an opportunity to reflect on just how complicated, nuanced, painful, but also joyous our freedom struggles have been," Hill said.

"I'm obsessed with freedom, and this idea of delayed freedom. That's part of what Juneteenth is about. I want us to think about what freedom looks like in 2017, in the era of Trump, big banks, government surveillance, global wars and neo-liberalism."

Hill was just named the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at his undergraduate alma mater Temple University, and his most recent book "Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond," just came out in paperback.

We chatted with Dr. Hill about freedom, Fox and fond memories.

Q: Do you think most Americans even know what Juneteenth is? 

A: I think not many Americans know what Juneteenth is, and sadly not enough African-Americans know what Juneteenth is. All of us who know what Juneteenth is about need to do the work of education. We need to engage the world.

Q: Someone is selling a hardback edition of your book "Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity" on Amazon for $231.50. Is it you?

A: Yes. (Laughs) I am going to raise the price every day, and at some point I'm going to sell the book for $20,000 and someone in this culture will be so committed to having the most expensive version of it that they'll buy it. There is an entire warehouse full of hardback editions.

There's always one person who takes an ordinary book and marks it up … hoping someone will think they're getting something special. I don't think I'm worth that much, though.

Q: As a Historically Black College (HBCU), is Temple more like Mission College in "School Daze" or Hillman College in "A Different World"?

A: Mission and Hillman are both very similar. They're both playing off the Morehouse vibe. Temple is different because there are a lot of white people there. It adds another layer. It's more like Columbus University, the school in "Higher Learning." It wasn't an HBCU. (At Columbus University) there were black people there who were just trying to get through on scholarship. There were people who were just trying to go to class and party. There were white people who were down, and black people trying to figure their lives out. There were white people who fell into a racist crowd. It represented a very diverse public university. We have all the same challenges.

Q: So, now we've discussed Temple and "A Different World." One is Bill Cosby's alma mater, the other a show he created. So let's talk about Cosby. Are you surprised that he's finally on trial?

A: Watching him go through what he's going through is very interesting. I'm surprised it's gone to trial because so often the transgressions of famous people, particularly powerful rich men, go unchecked. I'm surprised because he's old, rich and powerful.

Q: Are you going to miss debating with Bill O'Reilly?

A: I gotta say, some of the exchanges I had with Bill before I left Fox for CNN four years ago were pretty amazing. We made classic TV together. We have some moments that will matter in 10 or 20 years. I think that's pretty neat. I do miss the engagement with O'Reilly, but like all empires, it looks like Fox is falling. And with Bill O'Reilly falling it's almost certain that Fox will never be what it was.

Q: How did you feel about getting fired from Fox?

A: Getting fired from Fox for being too much of a lefty isn't exactly a badge of shame. If anything, it's a badge of honor. I'm very proud of being fired from Fox. I'm very happy I'm not there and that I'm in the right place at the right time.

Q: What do you think about Bill Maher referring to himself as a "House (N-word)" recently on "Real Time"?

A: Bill Maher made a bad choice. I cringed when I heard it. It didn't sound like his first rodeo when he said it. White people should just never say that word. He was using it in the service of a mediocre joke. What do you get for that? Even more frustrating than Bill Maher's comment is the fact that so many people have scrambled to defend him. I don't think this is a high crime. I don't think he should be kicked off the air or executed for it. I believe in the First Amendment. But we have a right as audience members to respond and say we don't want this.

Q: Why do you think he went there?

A: I think he thinks it's cool and edgy. He thinks he has insider status since he's dated black people and he feels almost empowered to use it and that's really troublesome. No matter how down you think you are, you're still white and you can't use it.

Q: What do you think freedom means to most people these days?

A: Too often now freedom is tied to a very narrow, market-driven notion. Freedom means freedom to be a consumer. We think all we need to do to be free is have access to things and access to capital. It's all about possessing things. I think there's a bigger notion of freedom and democracy that we can imagine.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Wendy Williamson Auditorium at UAA, 2533 Providence Drive

Tickets: Free for UAA students with valid ID, $5 for everyone else. Purchase at uaatix.com and the Student Union information desk.

More Juneteenth events at UAA and around town

Barbecue with live music by the Robert Arms Jazz Ensemble: Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., UAA Cuddy Quad. Free for UAA students; $5 for UAA staff and faculty; $8 for general public.

Showing of "I Am Not Your Negro": Wednesday, 7 p.m., UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium. Free for everyone. See UAA's Juneteenth event page.

Citywide Juneteenth Celebration: Friday, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, 12-7 p.m., Fairview Lions Park, 1201 E. Eighth Ave. Free. Event includes live jazz, food, a talent show and the crowning of Mr. and Mrs. Juneteenth. For more information, visit the Eventbrite page, call 907-230-4968 or email juneteenthanchorage17@gmail.com.