Cody C. Dout is a graduate student at the University of Washington. His work interrogates the tacit assumptions within white-dominated philosophical literatures and aims to show how arguments within these encounter moral and epistemic limits when it comes to the theorization of Black life in America. Recently, he has devoted his attention to reconstructing the neglected and misunderstood philosophical vision of Malcolm X, reconciling individual and institutional accounts of racist outcomes, and showing the parochialism of the dominant justice narratives within the ethics of immigration.
What excites you about philosophy?
I grew up in “inner-city” Baltimore. And contrary to what a lot of people think, Black folks, including in impoverished communities, are constantly engaging in theory. I grew up surrounded by philosophical debates about issues that affect Black people. We discussed the efficacy of civil disobedience, the merits of assimilation, the relationship between individual responsibility and structural influence, and the extent to which Black interests align with the interests of other minority groups, among other topics. Working in academic philosophy allows me to bring points of view to the fore that don’t generally make it out of my community. In a way, I see myself as a translator, or articulator, of the Black experience. People in my community have a strong tradition of intellectual engagement, including engagement with many commonly read texts of Black thought, and other long debated topics in philosophy. However, as Malcom X pointed out, injustice renders Black realities and the Black points of views to which these give rise invisible to people who are arguably in the best position to affect concrete changes in my community. In short, philosophy gives me the opportunity to speak “truth to power.”
What are you working on right now?
At the moment, I’m working on establishing accounts of Black identity and Black resistance. Some of this concerns the philosophy of Malcom X and the rapper/poet/philosopher Tupac Shakur. Currently, I am specifically working on articulating a novel account of how racism and “white privilege” work in America, which looks at figures like Malcom, Huey Newton, and takes to task institutional accounts of racism, while avoiding a strictly moralist position. This account, which will be developed in my dissertation, has wide-ranging implications for political philosophy and social theory.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
I don’t feel comfortable calling this my accomplishment, because I had a lot of help from a lot of people who deeply cared about me. I was homeless in Baltimore city for almost the entirety of high school. To make it through this situation, I had help from people from all walks of life in my community. When I say all walks of life, I am referring to church ladies, bus drivers, people who were addicted to drugs, prostitutes, as well as other teenagers who were going through their own hard times—yet still provided me with things like a place to sleep, food, etc. I know this is not the usual image people have of poor Black communities. Of course, I don’t mean to downplay the urgency of the situation Black communities are facing on a day-to-day basis—in fact; I think people outside my community don’t quite grasp this urgency. But I cared for the people who helped me, and they cared about me. So, when a friend’s mother from the next block bought me a bus ticket to go to college in Alaska, it was hard to leave regardless of what my situation was and how many people were telling me to go. But I went, and now I’m here. Most would call this, going from homelessness to college, to a PhD program, an accomplishment, but if it was, it was not only mine. At the same time, it was a sacrifice nonetheless because I had to leave the people who cared about me the most.
What’s your personal philosophy?
I feel if I do the right thing, people around me will do the right thing. I don’t mean the easy stuff. I mean the things that many of us don’t do because we feel the price may be too high. I think we’re wrong about that the vast majority of the time. In unjust environments, doing the right thing is going to make some people uncomfortable. Speaking up for somebody might lead to pushback, but I believe it is necessary. I’ve been in the position where some small gesture meant the world to me and I understand how important it is for me now that I can do that for other people. More importantly, I believe it’s important for people around me who are in a position to stand up for someone to see me do it because it makes it more difficult to rationalize inaction, which is what often happens (in fact, some of my work touches on this phenomenon).
What do you like to do outside work?
Liam Neeson Voice Well, you see, I have a very particular set of skills…. Skills I have acquired over a very long career of cultivating my culinary talents… ha! I can cook, though. I am consistently told by friends and acquaintances that my version of almost any dish is the best they’ve had, which I am proud of.
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
I’m going to cheat by listing a two way tie for the first. I think Toni Morrison and John Steinbeck are the greatest American writers. I think everyone should read Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Morrison’s Song of Solomon. My favorite non-fiction book is Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. Much of the discourse I encounter rests on empirically false assumptions or intuitions about historical cases. If people read more historians like Zinn, the level of discussion would be much higher.
What’s your favorite quote?
Stumbling isn’t falling. —Malcolm X
If you were an ice cream what flavor would you be?
The worst flavor because I would be less likely to be eaten. So, anything with chunks of fruit.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
