History Commons^™

Burdin, Johannah, Samantha Rouillard

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Johannah Burdin shares her story as a lesbian/queer woman experiencing southern Maine in the 1990s. Her story touches on topics involving coming out, relationships, a traumatic incident that left her disabled, activism, and much more. She was active in her youth in spreading awareness on the AIDS/HIV crisis, education on safe sex, and spent her evenings at popular Portland gay bars, like Sister’s Bar and Limelight/The Underground. Although she is not much into drinking, she recognized these were some of the few spots queer people could go to make community and relationships. Johannah also shares her story of becoming a …

The Intermountain West Lgbtq+ Oral History Project: The Folklorization Of Queer Theory, John Priegnitz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Following the passing of a friend who witnessed firsthand the transformation of Salt Lake City’s Queer community from the 1950s to 2020, I created the Intermountain West LGBTQ+ Oral History Project to document the queer experience within the Intermountain West. Since beginning the project in 2020, I have documented several diverse stories that intersect class, race, sexuality, gender, faith, and politics. By documenting the queer experience, a marginalized community will have their voices heard and preserved for the enlightenment of future generations. This presentation provides an overview of my project and its preliminary findings.

Strike At The Museum: A Report On Museum Labor Unions, John F. Connelly Iv

Museum Studies Theses

At a time of decline in American labor unions, museums have been an outlier. This recent trend has swept through America regarding museum labor and their desire for union representation. This thesis examines the recent increase in museum employees to unionize, explore recent successes, and outline perceived benefits of union representation. Critiques of not having a voice in the workplace, unfair wages, and calls to acknowledge social injustice have all served as catalysts to museum workers unionizing. Museum work consists of several responsibilities concerning stewardship, education, and public outreach. One often overlooks the function of museum employees since visitors often …

Mlk Day - A Day Of Service, Office For Diversity And Inclusion

General University of Maine Publications

Today, we honor one of the greatest Civil Rights Leaders in our Country, Dr. Rev, Martin Luther King. A day also known as a Day of Service.

I'll be honest. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable and confused. Instead of using this day (and everyday) to center the history and contributions of Black resilience and brilliance in making America what it is today. Why should I rush to busy myself to ‘rescue/save’ (serve) on this one day so I could feel better about ‘doing’ something. How does this honor Dr. King?

The Naked Truth: Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center's Sexuality Education Series, Women's Resource Center

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Flyer promoting a Women's Sexual Health education series hosted by the Women's Resource Center with the Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center.

Umaine Crime Alert, University Of Maine Police Department

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Examples of how safety alerts are communicated to members of the University of Maine community including email notification, individual campus portal pages for community members, and a notification posted across all pages of the university website. This safety alert describes the assault of an unnamed female by an unknown male who "briefly choked her, yelled a slur at her for wearing a pride shirt..." before running away.

Patients’ Rights, Patients’ Politics: Jewish Activists Of The U.S. Women’S Health Movement, 1969-1990, Jillian Michele Hinderliter

Theses and Dissertations

As the women’s health movement grew out of second wave feminism in the late 1960s, activists demanded women be taken seriously as health care consumers and critics of male-dominated medicine. Health feminists aimed to fundamentally redefine the relationship between patient and practitioner. Jewish women helped found and sustain the women’s health movement, yet their activist identities are often separated from Jewishness in histories of health reform. “Patients’ Rights, Patients’ Politics: Jewish Activists of the U.S. Women’s Health Movement, 1969-1990,” considers the impact of Jewish identity on Jewish activists’ conceptions of social justice while also tracing their significant contributions to women’s …

Advancing Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Older Adult Health Care, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Flyer advertising registration opportunities for the 16th Annual University of Maine Center on Aging Clinical Geriatrics Colloquium scheduled for October 25, 2021.

More Than A Museum: Museums' Past, Current, And Future Involvement With Racial Issues, Madeline B. Friedler

Museum Studies Theses

The year 2020 has been universally acknowledged as an extraordinary point in activist history. The Black Lives Matter organization has spearheaded a new wave of activism comparable to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and 70s. By evaluating how cultural learning centers such as museums have presented racial history in the past, an effective plan can be made on how museums should interpret this present-day history. Museums should not only recognize #BlackLivesMatter as an important part of history in an academic sense, but they should also actively promote positive racial change in the communities they serve. Research shows that …

Giudice Helps Creation Of Data Science Teaching Tools For High School Students With Disabilities, Marcus Wolf

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

As the data science field continues to generate more jobs and create new research and economic development opportunities, educators have decided to teach it in high schools. Many of the materials and tools they use, however, are inaccessible and fail to meet the needs of students with disabilities, impeding their access to data science careers.

The Mcgillicuddy Fellowship Showcase: An Annual Opportunity For Enlightenment, Stella Tirone

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Michael Socolow, director of the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center, and Karen Sieber, a humanities specialist at the center, were excited to introduce this year’s four McGillicuddy’s students. While their research differed in topics, students Hailey Cedor, Nola Prevost, Nolan Altvater and Katherine Reardon all had the same idea of sharing the truth in mind. The truths that these four students have spent the past year chasing range from the retelling of family history to reparations for the Holocaust from the influence of men in fairytales to the treatment of Wabanaki people — both in the past and present.

Legalizing Marijuana Is The Only Just Path Forward, Leah Savage

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Tuesday was April 20, or 4/20, so here’s a friendly reminder in light of the holiday; Barack Obama smoked marijuana, and he isn’t a degenerate, he was the 44th president of the United States. Marijuana has been legalized in 16 states as well as Washington, D.C., and there are numerous studies showing that marijuana is, at the very least, just as safe as alcohol. So why are over 40,000 Americans still incarcerate for marijuana-related charges?

Indigenous Stewardship Should Be Central To Conservation Efforts, International Study Finds, Beth Staples

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Darren Ranco says Indigenous peoples should be part of land use decisions, including whether to expand the quarantine zone for the emerald ash borer in northern Maine. "We have to be at the table because proof is in the pudding," says the University of Maine associate professor of anthropology, chair of Native American Programs, and citizen of Penobscot Nation. "When Indigenous people are on the land and making decisions about land management, biodiversity increases."

For [Redacted], Lalini Shanela Ranaraja

Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award

This poem was written following the attempts of a close friend and myself to create awareness for the ongoing genocide in Tigray, Ethiopia in particular, and in reaction to activism in the age of social media in general. The digital age and related phenomena, such as hashtag activism and cancel culture, has enabled certain social justice movements to gain rapid traction while other equally worthy movements struggle to find a foothold. Simultaneously, standards of accountability and ethics continue to decline among global news media, with non-Western countries such as Ethiopia and my own home country of Sri Lanka bearing the …

Umaine Holds Vigil In Support Of Asian Americans, Madeline .

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Monday, March 26 [2021], the University of Maine held a vigil to honor the lives lost in the Atlanta shooting on March 15. A group of students and Orono locals gathered inthe Martin Luther King Plaza outside the North Pod of the Union at 4 p.m. in remembrance of the victims, and to show solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

Fatphobia And The Importance Of Confronting Our Own Stigma, Leah Savage

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

In the wake of a year spent sitting around and doing nothing but thinking, I have been searching for new vices to tame my anxious mind and, to put it simply, new ways of thinking. Frankly, after a year of way too much time to myself, I am sick of my own tired thoughts. One of these new found vices has been serial listening to podcasts on Spotify. This is what led me to the “Maintenance Phase” podcast and to discovering a topic that has impacted my entire life, one that I was practically raised on, but had really never …

Umaine’S Wgs Department Celebrates Women’S History Month, Megan Ashe

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

March is well known as Women’s History Month and contains notable holidays like International Women’s Day and The Day of the Girl. Every year, many events celebrate the accomplishments of women and aim to bring light to gender inequality. The women’s, gender, and sexuality (WGS) department at the University of Maine is celebrating this month by hosting a series of events that students can access through their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.

Women In Leadership And Social Justice' Talk Contextualizes Strides Toward Gender Equity At Umaine, Abigail Martin

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy hosted "The Women in Leadership and Social Justice: The Importance of Diversity. Equity and Inclusion" talk on March 15 [2021], at 4 p.m. This talk was a part of Women's History Month and focused on discussing women's issues and the importance of diversity.

Umaine Collaborates With College Of The Atlantic To Host Black Studies Discussion, Madeline .

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The University of Maine philosophy department in collaboration with the College of the Atlantic hosted a discussion on “Black Studies and Questions of Institutional and Structural Change” on Monday, March 8 [2021]. Professor Kirsten Jacobsen from UMaine’s philosophy department and professor Netta Van Vliet from the College of the Atlantic’s department of cultural anthropology organized the event.

Help Yourself And Others: Participate In Student Research Projects, Leah Savage

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

We all know the drill: everyday we open our university email to and an abundance of irrelevant requests and notices. Maybe there’s some noteworthy anxiety-inducing or serotonin-boosting message from a professor about grades, rescheduling, or the all-hailed cancellation. My inbox remains clouded by a mess of announcements that I don’t even bother to open before I hit delete (mostly credited to an online shopping addiction, but that’s besides the point). However, there might be a diamond in the rough that you’re missing: student research.

Take Part In Black History Month By Stepping Up To Fogler’S Racial Justice Challenge, Abigail Martin

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Jen Bonnet, Madelyn Woods and Anila Karunakar co-designed Fogler Library’s Racial Justice Challenge, one resource of many for celebrating Black History Month at the University of Maine. Bonnet is a social sciences and humanities librarian at the Fogler Library on campus, Woods is a Ph.D. student in earth and climate sciences and Karunakar serves as the director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. The Racial Justice Challenge first launched in August of this past summer. “With the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Rayshard Brooks and other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) at the …

Confronting Microaggressions: It’S Not Just What You Say, It’S The Way You Say It, Nate Poole

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Kamala Harris, the first female, Black and Asian American to serve as the vice president of the United States, has been a near constant presence across media sourcesover the course of a primary and general election cycle, and yet the correct pronunciation of her first name remains a mystery to many. To be clear, it’s pronounced comma-la. It’s not long, not immensely diffocult to remember, and certainly not hard to Google. However, the phonetic complexity of the vice-president’s first name has overwhelmed pundits and politicians alike, including Tucker Carlson, former Georgia Sen. David Perdue, and former President Donald Trump. Colorful …

A Civil Society: The Public Space Of Freemason Women In France, 1744–1944, James Smith Allen

University of Nebraska Press: Sample Books and Chapters

A Civil Society explores the struggle to initiate women as full participants in the masonic brotherhood that shared in the rise of France’s civil society and its “civic morality” on behalf of women’s rights. As a vital component of the third sector during France’s modernization, freemasonry empowered women in complex social networks, contributing to a more liberal republic, a more open society, and a more engaged public culture.

James Smith Allen shows that although women initially met with stiff resistance, their induction into the brotherhood was a significant step in the development of French civil society, including the promotion of …

Wilde Stein Queer Straight Alliance, Wilde Stein: Queer Straight Alliance

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Facebook banner from the Wilde Stein Facebook page.

Kamala Harris Breaks Barriers As First Female Vp, Megan Ashe

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Last week, Americans finally got some answers as to who their new president-elect and vice president-elect would be. With 306 electoral votes, Joe Biden will be the next president and Kamala Harris will be the next vice president when they are inaugurated on Jan. 21, 2021. Kamala Harris is a powerful woman in politics and she will be the first woman in the role of vice president, as well as the first person of South Asian heritage and the first Black person as vice president. This accomplishment has inspired many women, Black people and people of South Asian heritage, and …

Racial Justice Challenge Promotes Anti-Racism In The Umaine Community, Megan Ashe

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The spring of 2020 sparked a resurgence of racial justice movements on a national level as a result of police officers publicly killing a number of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, which brought national attention to the issue of police brutality. Public opinions surged in favor of social justice movements including the Black Lives Matter movement, after reports of unwarranted brutal force used by police officers surfaced and highlighted the biases that affect many Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC). The dialogue surrounding disenfranchisement of BIPOC provided a glimpse into the broader issues of police …

Wilde Stein Club Poster, Wilde Stein: Queer Straight Alliance

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Social media post by the Wilde Stein Queer Straight Alliance, promoting a membership meeting for new students.

Orono House Of Pizza Promotional Sticker, Orono House Of Pizza

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

An Orono House of Pizza promotional rainbow sticker in rainbow pride colors stuck on a lamp post outside Fogler Library at the University of Maine. The lettering reads: "Ohop. All my homies are pepperonis." Popular with university students, the Orono House of Pizza, located at 154 Park Street in Orono offers pick up, delivery, and in-house seating.

Confederate Statues Are Monuments To The ‘Lost Cause’ Cult Of White Supremacy, Judith Ezekiel

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Natural Law, Literary Accommodation And The Successful Social Justice Movement : Thomas Reid's Natural Law Philosophy And The Abolitionist Writings Of Olaudah Equiano And Ottobah Cugoano, Patrick Miller

Honors Theses

I will be discussing natural law and the abolition movement of the 18th century-specifically the works of Olaudah Equiano and Ottobah Cugoano, two freed slaves who were members of an English abolitionist society known as the Sons of Africa- and the role that Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid’s ideas of natural law played in their authorship. Natural law philosophy, based on the idea that observation of the natural world can lead to conclusions about morality, has largely been sidelined in modern conversations about ethics. However, it played an important part in one of the greatest moral struggles of western society- the …