Musa al-Gharbi, author of We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.
By John-Paul Bonadonna
The University of Windsor’s Humanities Research Group (HRG) is once again bringing national attention to campus, hosting an event in partnership with CBC Ideas that will broadcast across Canada and beyond.
The campus community is invited to Musa al-Gharbi's lecture, We Have Never Been Woke: Symbolic Capitalists and The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite, Thursday Sept. 25 at the SoCA Armouries Performance Hall, 37 University Avenue East.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the event set to begin at 6 p.m. Seating is first-come, first served.
Nahlah Ayed will host the event. The lecture will feature al-Gharbi's exploration of the rise of social and economic inequality in a culture vocally committed to egalitarianism.
The dialogue will be later broadcast on CBC and reach international audiences through the CBC Ideas podcast.
HRG sees this collaboration and event as a natural extension of its mandate to create space for critical thinking and public conversation.
“It’s really great for Windsor to be on that platform and have international coverage,” says Kim Nelson, HRG director.
“Ideas has always been about bringing intellectual debate to a broad audience. That mission aligns perfectly with what HRG is trying to do: bring students, faculty, alumni, and the community together to think out loud together.”
The evening will feature a keynote talk from al-Gharbi, author of We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of the Elite. His research examines the paradoxes of professional-class influence in academia, media, law, and related fields—sectors that often present themselves as progressive while presiding over widening inequalities and deepening institutional mistrust.
“The core puzzle of my book is trying to wrestle with why the world looks the way it does,” al-Gharbi explains.
“We expected that as people like us gained more power and influence, inequalities would shrink and trust in institutions would grow. Instead, we’ve seen the opposite.”
Musa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University. He is a columnist for The Guardian. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and The Atlantic.
For al-Gharbi, the Windsor setting offers unique resonance.
“The trends I write about are global, and their effects don’t stop at the U.S. border,” he notes.
“American elections and policies have enormous consequences for Canada, especially in places like Windsor where the economies and communities are so tightly connected. This event is an opportunity to think through those dynamics together.”
Following the lecture, Ayed will moderate an on-stage conversation with al-Gharbi before opening the floor to audience questions. This spirit of dialogue is central to HRG’s vision.
“These events matter because they invite people to listen, question, and be open to changing their perspective,” explains Dr. Nelson.
al-Gharbi echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the role of such gatherings in bridging divides.
“There’s a growing gap between people in academia and many others in society,” he says.
“Events like this help close that distance. They create space for dialogue across fields, professions, and communities, which is critical if we want our institutions to thrive.”
In addition to the lecture and discussion, Biblioasis will be on hand with books available for purchase, including al-Gharbi’s We Have Never Been Woke.
“We’re very passionate about getting people out of their houses and into a room together to share ideas,” remarks Nelson.
“Having CBC Ideas as a partner allows Windsor to share that conversation with the world.”