Sneaker Theory with Professor J and Mir McLean

Join us for a fun program on sneaker theory!

Have you ever wondered how DC’s fashion trends have influenced pop culture and the world of sports? With a city full of universities, student athletes, and a bustling sports scene, it’s inevitable that sneaker culture would be heavily shaped by DC’s student athletes and sports teams like the Washington Mystics and the Washington Wizards. Sneakers are more than just a fashion pieces, they are forms of self expression and signifiers for the world around us. Stop by your favorite library to explore the many ways sneaker theory influences the world around you.

There will also be a hands-on lettering activity with student athlete Mir McLean!

About Professor J: Professor J is an award-winning journalist and veteran journalism professor who has taught at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee, and the University of Maryland at College Park.To promote the study of sneakers in America's public schools, Jamaal founded Sneaker Theory in 2024 after enrolling in the "Sneaker Essentials" course at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He is an active investigative journalist, an avid chess player and a lifelong fan of the Milwaukee Bucks. He resides in Washington, D.C.

About Mir McLean: Mir McLean, of Baltimore, wears the #10 jersey as guard and forward for the women’s basketball team at the University of Maryland, where she is a graduate student in international relations. She aspires to become a translator and can speak Arabic fluently. Previously, played for the University of Virginia, where she earned a degree in Middle Eastern Language and Literature. She is a recipient of the Robert B. Crotty Endowed Scholarship for Women's Basketball.

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