African American Studies Commons^™

Bearing The Benefit: An Evolution Of Passing To Trespassing & How We Got Here, Kennedi J. Williams

Honors College Theses

In recent years, we have seen a shift in the social treatment of white people in America. The desire to be politically correct at all times, in hopes of avoiding becoming the next viral “Karen” or racist has become imperative. The following thesis will explore the latest trend of white women buying racial capital by producing mixed-race children. At first glance, this idea can be a bit problematic. How can we assume the reasoning behind a woman choosing to bear a child? With this in mind, I would like to emphasize that individuals do not have to consciously be racist …

Navigating Archival Silences: Black History At Purdue, Sammie L. Morris

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

There are gaps in the historical record of Purdue University as evidenced in the lack of source materials in the University Archives. In particular, researching history on Black alumni, faculty, and staff and other people of color in Purdue's past is challenging due to the scarcity of source material. This presentation discusses gaps or archival silences in the University Archives and measures being taken to preserve and share access to Black history at Purdue.

Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, Christopher D. Ryan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ecological impacts of changes to land use are relevant to concerns about climate change, eutrophication of waterbodies, and reductions in biodiversity. As a foundational component of ecosystem functioning, changes to soil biogeochemistry have significant effects on overall ecosystem health. With cities continuing to grow and develop in extent, the impacts of urbanization and suburbanization on soils are of particular concern. Despite a wide range of natural climatic and geologic conditions, several factors have driven similar patterns of land transformation and management across the United States. In particular, federal initiatives including the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, …

“Now, What’S One Story I Wanted To Tell You?”: Oral History Exhibition Archives At The Chicago History Museum At The Turn Of The 21st Century, Arianne Nguyen

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Starting in the 1970s, American history museums have undergone a shift away from seeing themselves collections-focused historical societies acting as “temples to the past.” In the face of broader political challenges—civil rights, increasingly multicultural urban audiences, and the “culture wars” of the 1980s, public historians have sought to reclaim their institutions’ relevance by seeking to share their authority and mission with those “publics” they serve.

While secondary literature on public history has generally agreed that museums pulled off this shift—and museums themselves have touted successful exhibits and outreach—this essay uses a specific case study to complicate the narrative. The Chicago …

The Black American Revolution: The American Revolution As Experienced By African Americans, Amy Kurian

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This paper focuses on how the American Revolution mobilized the enslaved and free black population in a way that constitutes a "Black American Revolution." In particular, the enslaved population engaged in multiple efforts for freedom, ranging from fighting in the Revolutionary War to writing petitions to state legislatures. First, I present how the "slavery metaphor" propagated by white Loyalists indicates the inherent differences in how the white and black populations experienced the Revolution. There is an overall discussion of the various methods the enslaved used in their attempts to gain freedom: military service, slave petitions, freedom suits, and escape. I …

“And So My Soul Shall Rise”: Enslaved And Free African American Christianity Before Emancipation, Holly J. Lawson

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

The Christianity of enslaved and free African Americans in the years immediately following the first Great Awakening through the end of the Civil War (roughly 1750-1850) evidences a complex cultural fusion and a complicated theological depth. There were many different aspects of the religious and spiritual practices of these African American Christians, including preaching, baptism, ecstatic spiritual experiences, evangelism, violent and non-violent forms of resistance to slavery, and, possibly the most prevalent of all, music and singing. The hundreds of thousands of African people unwillingly brought to America brought with them their African heritage, but the survival of their African …

Determining Jury Impartiality In The Malice Green Murder Cases, Marco Cardamone

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

Detroit Police Department officers Walter Budzyn and Larry Nevers beat Black resident Malice Green to death in November 1992 and were convicted of second-degree murder, however, their convictions were overturned by appellate courts on the basis that the jury was influenced by outside sources. Race played a critical factor in the trials and public opinion as both officers were White and the judge, juries, and prosecutors were Black. While the evidence of the case suggests a wrongful death, public opinion in Detroit and exposure to media compromised the juries’ impartiality.

Down The Bay Oral History Project Newsletter - Winter 2024, Center For Archaeological Studies, Mccall Library

Down the Bay Oral History Project Newsletter

Public newsletter sharing information about progress and discoveries during the ongoing Down The Bay Project.

Recipes For Life: Black Women, Cooking, And Memory, Elspeth Mckay

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper examines cookbooks written by Black women from the mid eighteenth to late twentieth centuries. As cookbooks, these texts are practical and instructional, while also offering insights into the transnational development of food as an expression of cultural history through the Indigenous, African, and European influences evident within the cuisine. African Americans, and more specifically Black women, have contributed to the food history of the Southern United States by developing a distinct African American cuisine. As the author, I reflect on what it means for me – as a white Canadian woman in a border city – to be …

Internalized Oppression: Exploring The Nuanced Experiences Of Gender And Sexuality In Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Kathryn Kendal Ryan

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

In the American South at the turn of the century, quality education was scarce and legislative laws were put in place to ensure that African American individuals remained far away from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). As a result, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) became a catalyst for change in a “separate but equal” driven society. This article will explore the significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in elevating Black Americans throughout the twentieth century while assessing the conservative nature of the institutions and their inflexibility towards the various nuances of African American communities. While not particular to HCBUs, …

Race, Place, And Religion: African American Missionaries In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Kevin D. Hicks

The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History

This paper attempts to provide a more complete analysis of the various conceptions of race and identity held by African American missionaries working in Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While there has been some attention paid to African American missionaries working in Africa at this time, very little has been written about how their different theological beliefs impacted their conceptions of race and identity as it is related to the native African population they are interacting with. Through thorough analysis, it can be determined that there were distinct links between the different theological beliefs held by …

This Is A Man’S World: The Lived Gendered Experiences Of Blues People., Anthony Christopher Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American Blues is known for playing a role in the foundation of the country’s music. The ingredient of the musical tradition has roots going back to West Africa and was brought to the United States through the of transatlantic slave trade. During the period of slavery, it formally developed with plantation work songs which later continued after emancipation with sharecropping until the early to mid-twentieth century. During the early twentieth century, W.C. Handy in Tutwiler, Mississippi, and musicians formally popularized Blues music were being recorded. The first Blues superstars were women such as Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, and Ma Rainey …

Handwritten Receipt For Cash, April 17, V. L. Stallworth

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Document: Handwritten receipt for cash received: Cash to R.H. Walker $50.00. Written on Empire State Insurance Company note paper.

Handwritten Receipt For Cash, April 18, Maude Richardson

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Document: Handwritten receipt for cash: Cash to R.H. Walker $75.00

Ethical Data Considerations For Engaging In Reparative Archival Practice, Jamie Rogers, Rhia Rae

Works of the FIU Libraries

Archival textually-rich materials--such as warranty deeds, mortgages, legal documents, and letter correspondence--can provide valuable historical insights, and if transcribed and analyzed, can produce data points in the form of unstructured text, tabular data, and geospatial assets. This presentation will provide an overview of the process Florida International University librarians went through to turn the papers of Dana A. Dorsey, Miami's first Black Millionaire, into data. Their work is guided by the concept of "collections as data" as a form of reparative archival practice, enabling the elevation of marginalized individuals' histories. The goal of reparative archival practice is to create a …

Rogers, Hazard & Thames- Dr. & Mrs. Thos. H. B. Walker, No Date Given, Elmer E. Hazard

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence: Letter from Elmer E. Hazard, Rogers, Hazard & Thames, Attorneys at Law, Jacksonville, Florida, to Dr. and Mrs. Thomas H.B. Walker, Jacksonville, Florida, regarding money due on mortgage

Author Not Stated- Mr. Jacob Goodman, No Date Given, Unknown

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence: Letter to Jacob Goodman, Real Estate and Insurance, New York City, New York regarding property management for 254 West 131st Street, New York, New York. Typed on Holmes Funeral Director Mrs. R. Holmes Walker letterhead, not signed.

Rosie Holmes Walker- Mr. Jacob Goodman, No Date Given, Rosa G. Holmes Walker

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence and Deed: Partial letter to Jacob Goodman regarding the management of properties owned by Rosa G. Holmes Walker in New York City, New York. Includes deed to property 254 131st Street, New York, New York. "J. Goodman - 67 W. 125 St." handwritten on the front. Stamped on top of deed: November 23, 1925. Circa 1925

Rosie Holmes Walker- Mr. Jacob Goodman, No Date Given, Rosa G. Holmes Walker

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence: Partial handwritten letter from Rosie Holmes Walker, written on Thomas H.B. Walker, D.D. letterhead, Mr. Jacob Goodman regarding property management; Deeds for two different addresses mentioned: 245 West 131st St. and 122nd St. (New York, New York).

Transcription, Closing Statement Sale 254 West 131st St, Unknown

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Transcription: Transcription of deteriorated partial list of prices and charges to be paid by buyer and seller, for property 254 West 131st St (New York, New York). Original not available. No date given.

Property Listings, N.Y.C., Edward C. Brown

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Documents: Property listings for three properties in New York City.

Property Listings, New York City, Louis W. George

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Documents: Property listings for three properties in New York City.

Envelope, Holmes Funeral Directors- Atty W. H. Jeter, No Date Given, Holmes Funeral Directors

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence: Envelope, top left corner (return address): Holmes Funeral Directors 621 W. State Street Jacksonville, FLA. Addressed to: Atty. W.H. Jeter, Atlantic National Bk.Bl., City (Jacksonville).

Note To Mr. Jacob Goodman, Unknown

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Correspondence: To Jacob Goodman. "Mr. Jacob Goodman. Dear sir- I hope I am not [annoying] you by asking you. Will you please send me a check for March Rent. I [know] it was an over [sight] is why you haven't send it. Thanking you in advance. I bef to remain very truly [illegible]"

List, Handwritten Note, Unknown

Real Estate Correspondence 1925-1937

Note: Handwritten list of names and monetary amounts. Includes a list of expenses. Written on the back of Holmes-Walker letterhead. Circa 1932-1933. No date given.

Justice, Pandemics, And Museums In Cyberspace: Archaeology Museums’ Decolonization Projects During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Samuel Besse

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper explores three Archeology Museums (Historic St. Mary’s City, James Madison’s Montpelier, and the American Museum of Natural History), their attempts at addressing the colonial narratives that museums are built on, and how the Covid-19 pandemic and protests over George Floyd’s death affected these projects. I place a special effort on the online presence of these museums, as this is the main way visitors interacted with the museums during the pandemic. After discussing the origins of museum’s decolonization efforts and their efforts to make an online presence, I talk about the Covid-19 pandemic and the events around George Floyd’s …

"The Best Interests Of The Child:" Parental Claims In Nebraska Child Custody Cases, 1877 1924, Esme Krohn

Digital Legal Research Lab

No abstract provided.

Habeas At Home And Heart: Progressive Era Cases Of Spousal Confinement To Nebraska's Psychiatric Households, Isabelle Childs

Digital Legal Research Lab

No abstract provided.

Deconstructing Reconstruction: The Portrayal Of The Reconstruction Era In High School History Textbooks, Eleanor Katari

Graduate Masters Theses

This paper examines the persistence of Dunning School narratives of the Reconstruction Era in high school US History textbooks, despite the thorough rejection of those narratives among academic historians at the college level and above. In examining the reasons for the persistence of these narratives, this paper acknowledges some structural elements of the textbook industry before focusing on the role of white women’s parent activism in shaping textbook content and adoption, stretching backwards to the 1890s and the Daughters of Confederate Veterans, and forward to the present day and organizations such as Moms for Liberty. This paper also points out …

“Each Heart Alone Knoweth Its Own Bitterness”: The Jackson Family In Clarke County, Virginia, From Enslavement To Jim Crow, Melanie E. Garvey

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis examines the experiences of three generations of the Jackson family in Clarke County, Virginia, from approximately 1860 to 1915, covering the shift from enslavement to the Jim Crow period. Chapter One introduces the challenges with pre-existing publications on Clarke County and Virginia history. Chapter two focuses on the antebellum period and discusses what enslavement may have looked like in Clarke County. Chapter Three narrows the focus to Charles Jackson, Sr., the family patriarch, who was enslaved at New Market Plantation. Chapter Four looks at Charles Sr.’s son, Charles Jr., and the life he created for himself after enslavement. …