Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Desegregation Of Schools In Thibodaux, Louisiana: 1954-1970, Shelby L. Thibodaux

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The study of school systems in Thibodaux, the seat of Lafourche Parish, adds to research on school desegregation in Southern rural communities. This thesis highlights the untold story of the Black community's resistance to segregation in Thibodaux and efforts by white officials to maintain a segregated school system. Black resistance included a petition filed in 1955 and the Edward Hill v. Lafourche Parish School Board (1967) case. Partial integration began in 1966, but the parish did not establish a unitary system until the 1968-1969 school year. This research focuses on the Lafourche Parish public school system from first through twelfth …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

Termites, Bully Boys, And The Architect Of Search & Destroy: An Assessment Of General William E. Depuy As Macv J-3 And Commander Of The 1st Infantry Division, Republic Of Vietnam, 1964-67, Adam D. Coste

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (J-3) at MACV from 1964-1966, General William DePuy served as the main architect of the campaign strategy implemented by General William Westmoreland in fighting both VC and NVA units during the earliest and most critical years of the Vietnam War. Following his role at MACV, DePuy assumed command of the 1^st Infantry Division in March 1966 where he exhibited a distinct command philosophy and transformed the organizational culture of the “Big Red One” through a series of directives and tactical innovations. Most historians are critical of Westmoreland’s chosen strategy as well as …

Community In The Cell: Queer Women’S Space And Place In New Orleans, Jordan Hammon, Jordan Hammon

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines queer women’s history and space/places of community in New Orleans using spatial analysis and feminist theory to fill the silences. The Special Citizens Committee for the Vieux Carré laid the foundation for regulating queer women and transmasculine people starting in the 1950s. Even after the committee ended, New Orleans Police Department and the Vice Squad had the power to invade and harass places of community for queer women and transmasculine people. Despite this hostility, queer women and transmasculine people resisted and made a place for themselves in New Orleans. As a result of their persistence through visibility …

The Story Of Jennie Steers: An Examination Of Race, Gender, And Lynching In Northwest Louisiana, Lauren Smith

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As the nineteenth century ended, the American South entered a new century equipped with the foundations of a Jim Crow society. Through political intimidation, segregation, and racial violence—most notoriously through the practice of lynching—white Southerners reasserted white supremacist rule. Yet the lynching of Black men in this era is more often documented than the plight of Black women at the hands of white mobs and local authorities. By focusing on Jennie Steers, a woman lynched outside of Shreveport, Louisiana in 1903, this project sheds light on the violent history of Northwest Louisiana and the ways in which Black women navigated …

Shifting Images: Film And Historical Legacy Of Malcolm X, 1959-2021, Kristina M. Smith

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and died el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, left an indelible mark on the American consciousness. Between 1952 and 1964, Malcolm X earned renown as a minister for the Nation of Islam under the guidance of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The first film appearance of Malcolm X himself was in the 1959 documentary The Hate That Hate Produced, a film that sent both Malcolm and the Nation of Islam onto the national, and eventually international, stage. The next attempt to immortalize the man in film would be after his death, in 1972’s Malcolm X, a documentary based on …

Political Religion: An Intellectual History Of Eric Voegelin And Defense Of His Thesis On Political Religion And Nazism, Stephen Gaines

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an intellectual history of Eric Voegelin and the concept of “political religion”. Eric Voegelin was a German-Austrian political scientist whose work surrounding the field of political science has made him one of the most influential thinkers of the 20^th century. Voegelin saw the rise of Nazi Germany in 1932 and fled Austria during Anschluss in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution, coming to the United States. During this time, Voegelin published, The Political Religions (Die Politischen Religionen) in which he describes National Socialism as a “political religion”. This thesis will delve into the conceptualization of …

"The Freedom To Express Yourself": The National Park Service And The African Diasporic Roots Of Black Dance In New Orleans, Ariel D. Roy

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In partnership with the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, my project entitled “African Dance in New Orleans: The Roots of Black New Orleans Dance” exhibit will focus on the African diasporic roots of Black traditional dance practices within New Orleans’ African American community. This project aims to diversify the public and political expressions of Black dance in New Orleans. It argues that the study of dance forms and practices uncovers narratives and fragments of African and African American cultural history in New Orleans that are impossible to glean from other sources. This thesis will support three modes of African …

A Pelican's Journey To Flight: A Louisiana National Guardsman, The Development Of The United States Army Air Service, And The Human Cost Of Military Innovation, James H. Smith

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

George E. Dicks deployed to the Mexican Punitive Expedition and World War I with the Louisiana National Guard. He recorded his experience in writing and photography, which reside in the Jackson Barracks Military Museum in Chalmette, Louisiana. His memorabilia reflect an officer’s perspective on early military aviation and parallel to the United States military’s experimentation with aviation. Through experimentation, Dicks became an aerial observer in World War I.

This thesis explores George E. Dicks’ memorabilia and how it both represents the development of the American Air Service and the human cost of military aviation with photographic evidence. By representing aviation’s …

U.S. Hegemonic Control In Latin America: The 1973 Coup In Chile, Seth Wilbur

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

On September 11, 1973, the Chilean armed forces staged a coup d’état against their democratically elected and first socialist president, Salvador Allende. The coup ended in Allende’s death and seventeen years of military dictatorship under the auspices of General Augusto Pinochet. Although seemingly a domestic affair, the United States executive branch under the leadership of President Richard Nixon played a significant role in facilitating the coup and it is unlikely the coup would have occurred without U.S. support. While contemporary sources still point to American fears over communist incursion in the western hemisphere as the principal reason for U.S. involvement …

The Use Of Native American Literature For Teaching Native American History, Charles Democker

Senior Honors Theses

hite historians, schools, and writers have produced works that teach inaccurate and biased subjects that surround Native American history and culture. While most of this inaccurate and racist writing comes from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Indigenous authors, both past and present, have written works that have the potential to give more historically accurate and thorough representations of their people and culture. This thesis examines three novels written by Indigenous authors to argue for using Native American fiction to correct misrepresentation of Native culture by white writers. In contrast to both novels and histories written by white people, Native American …

'The Street Scene Prologue': Holocaust Survivors, The American Nazi Party, And Exodus, Jason Van

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

During the early 1960s when the American Civil Rights movement was beginning to gain momentum, another movement across the world was taking place to solidify the newly formed country of Israel as a sovereign state. To commemorate the foundation of Israel, American director Otto Preminger created the film Exodus, adapted from a book of the same name by Leon Uris. George Lincoln Rockwell, leader of the American Nazi Party, decided to take action by traveling throughout the country with his closest members to protest the film. Rockwell and his group of Nazis were outraged by the pro-Zionist depictions and the …

“We Won’T Be Silent Anymore”: Enslaved People’S Stories And Symbolic Reparations For New Orleans City Park, Kalie Ann Dutra

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The official history of New Orleans City Park, published in 1982 offers a narrow history of its grounds and land ownership before it opened as a park in 1854. The published text Historic City Park New Orleans contains a two-part narrative. The first narrative tells the identity of Louis Allard, his plantation land, and the mystique surrounding his death. The second narrative focuses on John McDonogh, an enslaver and local legend, his purchase of the Allard Plantation, and his donation of the plantation to the city of New Orleans for the creation of what is now lower New Orleans City …

The Logistics Considerations Of The Landing Ship Tank And Its Evolution As An Auxiliary Repair Ship In World War Ii, Joel H. Berry Iii

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study reveals how the US Navy’s Landing Ship Tank (LST) of World War II functioned in logistics support roles from the outset of its wartime participation and to a greater degree than many military planners ever envisioned. The ship’s simple design proved so versatile that, within one year of the first LST, the Navy began converting dozens of the ships to Landing Craft Repair Ships (ARL) and other auxiliary classes supporting myriad naval logistics tasks. Both the standard LST and the ARL made significant logistics contributions to the war effort well beyond amphibious assaults.

Trail Of Crumbs: Tracing The Lore, Labor, And History Of Bread-Making In New Orleans, Dana Logsdon

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The cultural, social, and economic development of New Orleans—from a colonial port to an American city—can be traced through its history of bread baking. The public history thesis project, Trail of Crumbs: Tracing the Lore, Labor, and History of Bread-Making in New Orleans, is a tour on the Midlo Center’s digital site New Orleans Historical, mapping the spaces, events, and human stories behind one of the city’s oldest professions. Rooted in a French and Spanish colonial foundation, the bread-making traditions of New Orleans reveal the influence of forces such as the port, immigration, location, and labor. The tour applies …

“The Very Class For Our Country”: How The Cuban Exploitation Of Chinese Coolie Laborers Inspired Louisiana Sugar Planters, Joseph Ledesma

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Sugar planters in Louisiana during Reconstruction needed to replace the enslaved labor force that had fled the plantation system after the Civil War. These Louisiana planters took inspiration from the system of coolie labor in Cuba, wherein exploited Chinese indentured servants would work on sugar plantation alongside enslaved Africans. The white Cuban planters’ goal was to racially dilute their plantation labor force, thus making the existing power structures easier to maintain while avoiding Haitian-style slave uprising. Sugar planters in Louisiana intended to recreate the Cuban system to compel Freedmen to work for less than their worth by importing Chinese laborers, …

Colonial Development: The Importance Of The Backcountry Frontier In The Protection And Preservation Of Lowcountry Power In Colonial South Carolina, 1730-1769, Dillon A. Naquin

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In general discussions and teachings about the American Colonies before the Revolution, South Carolina is often oversimplified. Students are presented with a picture portraying the beginnings of American slavery, with large, cash crop plantations being worked by enslaved Africans while the white owners of the enslaved reap the benefits and enjoy a life of relative ease and luxury in their plantation houses and in the city of Charleston. Even when this picture includes extreme measures the planter elite took to enjoy this lifestyle in the form of slave laws and punishments, the more indirect methods of suppression are often left …

“The Very Class For Our Country”: How The Cuban Exploitation Of Chinese Coolie Laborers Inspired Louisiana Sugar Planters, Joseph Ledesma

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Sugar planters in Louisiana during Reconstruction needed to replace the enslaved labor force that had fled the plantation system after the Civil War. These Louisiana planters took inspiration from the system of coolie labor in Cuba, wherein exploited Chinese indentured servants would work on sugar plantation alongside enslaved Africans. The white Cuban planters’ goal was to ethnically diversify their plantation labor force, thus making the existing power structures easier to maintain while avoiding slave uprising by manufacturing racial divisions among the labor force. Sugar planters in Louisiana intended to recreate the Cuban system to compel Freedmen to work for less …

Victim Impact: The Manson Murders And The Rise Of The Victims’ Rights Movement, Merrill W. Steeg

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ladies First: The Ways Women And Girls Affected Change In The Civil Rights Movement In New Orleans, Terri R. Rushing

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

New Orleans Historical is a project of the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies in the History Department of the University of New Orleans. This thesis and tour presents and discusses the “Ladies First” tour which contains seven tour stops on New Orleans Historical. The tour chronicles seven women and girls who have advanced the cause of equal rights and justice in the metropolitan region of New Orleans, Louisiana between 1950 and 1975. This thesis examines the work of seven key figures: Rosa Keller, Doratha “Dodie” Simmons, Marie Ortiz, Sybil Morial, and Dorothy Mae Taylor; and participants in the Civil …

Zaitzart Bat: Pete Cenarrusa, Culture, Politics, And The Creation Of A Basque-American Community From The 1930s To The 2000s, Christine M. Tarride, Christine M. Tarride

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Basque-American communities from the 1930s to the 2000s, responding in part to external threats and accusations of treason, communism, or terrorism, and have come to be identified more with cultural practice over homeland politics. This can be seen through the career and legacy of Pete Cenarrusa (1917-2013), a longtime Idaho politician of Basque descent. Cenarrusa’s early life and career were dedicated to Basque nationalist politics, but his primary legacy is that of a cultural preserver, who helped to further develop the Western United States’ Basque community’s cultural focus, as expressed through festivals, physical sites and community-based …

Don’T Be Myth-Taken: The Perpetuation Of Historical Myths In New Orleans Tourism, Madeleine R. Roach

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The mythology that surrounds the city of New Orleans is expansive. In a city well known for its ghosts and culture, the tourism industry utilizes stories and mythology to entice tourists to visit the city. However, the perpetuation of myths as historical facts or as actual events to an unknowing public can cause more harm than good to the city and the understanding of its past. This essay utilizes interviews with current New Orleans Tour Guides to examines how the tourism industry in New Orleans presents mythology and historical evidence to tourists. This essay examines tours and tourism materials to …

Ephemeral Existence: Tracing Early Twentieth Century Tattoos And Perceptions Of Identity Within The New Orleans Police Department Mugshot Collection, Kaylie M. Mccarthy

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

People have long used tattoos as markers of identification. However, there remain limited scholarly studies on the history of tattoos within the city of New Orleans. This thesis argues that through analysis of the tattoos recorded in the New Orleans Police Department Mugshot Collection, it is possible to situate the early twentieth century arrested population within a greater societal context, allowing for the intimate details of individual lives and personal stories to come to the forefront. Through the synthesis of demographic data from the 152 mugshots that pertain to tattooed arrestees, and three case studies on arrestees with patriotic, nautical, …

'Seeds Of Happiness': An Oral History Of Members Of Soka Gakkai International-New Orleans, Lorvelis Amelia Madueño

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a Japanese new religious movement present in 192 countries. Despite the substantial amount of academic work that has been produced on SGI’s overseas expansion, many scholars continue to overlook the local context when analyzing the organization’s global presence. This paper is based on oral history interviews and examines the experiences of five members of the SGI-USA New Orleans Buddhist Center, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This thesis argues that many SGI practitioners choose to join and remain in the organization because it fills specific spiritual and emotional voids in their lives, creates …

Army-Navy "E" Awards In New Orleans, Louisiana, Timothy S. Wilson

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis, in conjunction with an interactive digital exhibit, examines the Army-Navy “E” Award as it was applied to military defense industries in New Orleans, Louisiana during World War II. The thesis and the website is available for World War II researchers who are researching wartime manufacturing in New Orleans as well as teachers who are conducting lessons on wartime manufacturing and home-front activities in New Orleans throughout the duration of World War II. A thorough examination of historical records establishes the significance of wartime manufacturing capabilities of New Orleans during World War II by providing an historical narrative of …

Get Your Shirts At Moody’S! Samuel Nadin Moody: Advertising Genius In New Orleans, 1848 To 1874, John M S Rogan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mid-nineteenth century immigrant to New Orleans and businessman, Samuel Nadin Moody, leveraged the tools of the market revolution to pioneer advertisement with innovation and flamboyance to sell men’s clothing, specifically men’s shirts of his own manufacture. Through over saturation of billboards, a massive, sustained, and creative newspaper advertising campaign, and the invention—and careful curation of—a personal brand, Moody thrived in the era’s volatile marketplace. This micro-history peers into this impressive success story enjoyed by a singular individual.

"The Jeep Is Here To Stay!" Projections Of America And Franco-American Relations During World War Ii, Connie L. Gentry

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

During World War II, the Office of War Information produced American and Allied propaganda that was used at home and abroad. Robert Riskin, head of the Bureau of Motion Pictures Overseas Branch, was responsible for creating Projections of America, a documentary film series made to introduce foreigners to America whilst combating negative impressions of Americans that arose in the interwar years. Films from Projections of America contained themes of American culture, ideology, industry and technology, and democracy. In France, these films were used to sway French opinion of Americans while promoting friendship and appreciation for American culture. Ultimately, the …

The U.S. Creation Of The South Vietnamese Air Force, 1955-1975, James C. Jumper Jr.

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

From 1962 until 1973 the United States Air Force (USAF) built a small but effective South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). VNAF grew from approximately 4,000 personnel in 1963, flying ninety-six aircraft in six squadrons, to 60,000 personnel and sixty-five squadrons with over 2,000 aircraft by 1973. There was continuous change in the type of aircraft provided to the VNAF as the USAF upgraded VNAF’s capabilities. Training VNAF personnel was a continuing problem for both pilots and support personnel because of the almost constant aircraft upgrades and increase of size of the VNAF. VNAF was growing, developing doctrine, establishing its mission …

“The Community For Educational Experiments”: The Alliance Israélite Universelle, Gender, And Jewish Education In Casablanca, Morocco 1886-1906, Selene Allain-Kovacs

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

At the end of the nineteenth century, the Alliance Israelite Universelle (AIU) opened boys’ and girls’ schools in Casablanca, Morocco, introducing ideas of European-inflected modernity and secular education to the local Jewish community. Letters and reports from the founding directors provide insight into the problems, social and practical, they encountered and reveal the ways in which both Moroccan and European gender norms affected this “educational experiment.”

Black Expressions Of Dillard University: How One Historically Black College Pioneered African American Arts, Makenzee Brown

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The proposed public history project, Within These Walls (WTW), will be one component of a larger exhibit produced by Dillard University’s, Library Archives and Special Collections entitled The Star Burns Bright: History of Dillard’s Theatrical and Musical Arts, Faculty and Students. WTW will focus on Dillard’s historic African American faculty, students and alumni who became prominent painters, musicians, writers, actors and directors among them Adella Gautier, Randolph Edmonds, Ted Shine Frederick Hall, Theodore Gilliam, and Brenda Osbey. This exhibit will also highlight the many art programs, across genres, offered at the university between 1935 and 1970. This exhibit will demonstrate …