Joe Street is a distinguished interdisciplinary scholar specializing in the intricate connections between race, politics, popular culture, and physical space, primarily focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area from the 1960s to the 2010s. His insightful research delves into diverse subjects, including African American radicalism, the ideology of Silicon Valley, and the rich tapestry of Bay Area literature, cinema, and popular culture. Currently, Joe Street is engaged in a compelling project examining the dynamic relationship between public space and racial politics within the Bay Area. An initial glimpse into this research is available in his article uncovering the racial undertones of Philip K. Dick’s seminal work, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a notable piece by the celebrated science fiction author and Bay Area native.
This ongoing exploration builds upon Joe Street’s two significant monographs. His book, Black Revolutionaries: A History of the Black Panther Party, published by the University of Georgia Press in 2024, presents a groundbreaking reinterpretation of the Black Panther Party (BPP). This work stems from Joe Street’s long-held interest in African American radicalism and follows a series of influential scholarly articles. These articles include his critical evaluations of BPP historiography, the profound impact of prison and solitary confinement on BPP founder Huey P. Newton, and the BPP’s determined campaign for Newton’s freedom.
Just a year prior, Joe Street released Silicon Valley Cinema (Edinburgh University Press, 2023), an interdisciplinary study analyzing Hollywood’s portrayal of Silicon Valley. This study astutely reveals how seemingly disparate films like Venom, The Social Network, and The Internship collectively express Hollywood anxieties regarding the potential of Silicon Valley corporations to reshape and dominate contemporary society.
Joe Street has also contributed to the analysis of San Francisco’s representation in Clint Eastwood’s iconic 1971 film, Dirty Harry. This analysis expanded into his book, Dirty Harry’s America: Clint Eastwood, Harry Callahan and the Conservative Backlash (University Press of Florida, 2016). This book investigates the intricate relationship between the Dirty Harry series and conservative politics during the 1970s and 1980s, drawing attention to the striking parallels between the films’ political messaging and the rhetoric of conservative leaders like Ronald Reagan. Widely acclaimed as ‘the definitive work on Dirty Harry‘, it is considered a must-read for Eastwood enthusiasts and those interested in the intersection of film and political culture.
Earlier in his career, Joe Street was a key figure among British scholars who re-evaluated the influence of the African American struggle on racial politics in the UK during the 1960s. He published pioneering studies on Malcolm X’s impact on racial dynamics in the West Midlands and the significant role of African American soul music in shaping British youth culture in the 1960s. This research further led to an in-depth exploration of Dave Godin, a legendary figure within the British soul music scene.
Going back to his earlier academic work, Joe Street’s first monograph, The Culture War in the Civil Rights Movement (University Press of Florida, 2007), illuminated the crucial role of cultural forms like theater and music within the African American civil rights movement of the 1960s. From the influential singing workshops at the Highlander Folk School to the Black Panther Party’s Ministry for Culture, the book argues convincingly that ‘cultural organizing’ was fundamental to the civil rights movement’s strategies and achievements.
