Studio 2 Extra: Philly writer Tre Johnson talks “Black genius”

Tre Johnson’s debut book is “Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy.” He writes about authenticity, community, and everyday brilliance–and how he sees it all over Philly.

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Tre Johnson is a Philadelphia based writer and cultural critic. His debut book “Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy” explores creativity, identity, and the everyday brilliance found throughout Black life in America. To him, Black genius is cultural, communal, cerebral, emotional, and relational. And he sees it all over Philadelphia.

 ”I love that folks are using these dirt bikes to not just like show off, but to come back into the city. I know the noise stuff, I know the like clogging the lanes and stuff, but if you literally stand and watch these people, it is caravans of folks laughing, smiling.  Many of these folks are having fun and they’re forming community, which is a hard thing to do more and more nowadays in the city.”

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