African American Studies Commons^™

Urbanization On The Landscape Of The Old City: An Archaeological Investigation Of Site 40kn223 In Knoxville, Tennessee, Garrett B. Wamack

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I examine the effects of urbanization on the landscape and the people who lived upon it at archaeological site 40KN223 within the Old City in Knoxville, Tennessee. This landscape analysis focuses particularly on the decades from 1850 to 1920 during the birth and growth of the Old City. Amid the rising tides of commercialization, industrialization, and the flood-prone waters of First Creek, residents established a working-class neighborhood on the fringe of a substantial African American community. I examine this neighborhood and the transformation of its immediate landscape to understand how urbanization impacted its transformation, to learn who …

Indoctrination Into Hate: The Development Of Racial Neuroses Resulting From Racist Socialization Under White Supremacy, Aliya Kathryn Benabderrazak

Haslam Scholars Projects

Racial-ethnic socialization is critical to our unique and individual conceptualization of reality. This socialization occurs explicitly and implicitly across the lifespan and has significant implications for one’s behavior, social relationships, and ideological beliefs. Two of the most notable and impactful spheres in which racial-ethnic socialization occurs are within the family unit and schooling contexts. The treatment and teachings within these two spaces shape our social and psychological development. The first part of my project considers the neurosis of Whiteness as a psychological consequence of racist socialization within school settings and primarily White communities—as a macro example of the family unit—to …

Defining Black Masculinities: Intersectional Analyses Of Gender, Race And Sexuality In Caribbean And Latin American Literature, 1955 To Present, Jerry Eugene Scruggs Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of my dissertation is to define and construct parameters for analyzing the Afro-descendant male experience in four specific texts: Mi compadre el General Sol [General Sun, My Brother] (1955), Adire y el tiempo roto [Adire and Broken Time] (1967), Sortilégio II: mistério negro de Zumbi redivivo [Sorcery 2: Black Mystery of Resurrected Zumbí] (1979), and Negro: Este color que me queda bonito [Black: This Color Looks Good on Me] (2013). Black masculinities are distinct and this study sets five parameters: 1) Sexual Prowess, 2) Contentious relationship with the White woman, 3) Violence and Toxic Masculinity, 4) Emotive Numbness, …

“In The Skin I’M In…I Represent A Different Version Of What Help Looks Like:” Black Women Sport Psychology Professional’S Experiences In Applied Sport Psychology, Sharon R. Couch

Doctoral Dissertations

Black Feminist Applied Sport Psychology (BFASP) is a culturally inclusive theoretical framework for centering Black women’s experiences in applied sport psychology (Carter et al., 2020; Couch et al., 2022). For the past two decades, (White) Feminist applied sport psychology professionals (FASPPs) described the experiences of Black women as unique but were overlooked in research and participant pools due to the prioritization of White women's and Black male sport experiences. (Carter & Davila, 2017; Carter & Prewitt-White, 2014; Gill, 2020; Hyman et al., 2021). The purpose of this study was to explore the life and work experiences of BASPPs (i.e., faculty, …

East Germany's Angela Davis, Ross T. Parks

Vernacular: New Connections in Language, Literature, & Culture

Angela Davis is arguably the most famous member of the Black Panther movement. She reached prominence within the United States as a political dissident, educator, activist, and prisoner in the early 1970s. However, the United States government was not the only one with an eye on Davis.

The Black Panther movement is well-known within the United States, with a complicated reputation among the public. Often framed as far-left radicals, the group and many of its members were heavily targeted by the FBI throughout its existence. The movement’s efforts are often categorized as the most extreme example of the Civil Rights …

The Evolution Of Defining Rape In The United States, Sophia Rhoades

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Tragic Mulatta Trope: Complexities Of Representation, Identity, And Existing In The Middle Of The Racial Binary, Madeline Stephens

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Color-Blind Stancetaking In Racialized Discourse, Abigail Christine Tobias-Lauerman

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I examine how language constructs and constrains racialized discourse in post-Jim Crow contemporary America. Drawing on rhetorical and sociolinguistic work set forth by Booth, Shotwell, Bonilla-Silva, Omi and Winant, and others, it is apparent that racial organization— and racial identities and categorization— in the US is reliant upon specific markers that signify racial meaning. Such markers are assimilated into wider, unconscious discourse through what Shotwell and Booth describe as seemingly inherent— yet ultimately constructed— matters of “common sense,” and are expressed through evaluative stance acts. I explore the origins and construction of these markers and the relationship …

Laughing At Ourselves: Music And Identity In Comedic Performance, Peter Trigg

Masters Theses

Standup comedy actively performs and engages with constructions of self and social identity, especially in terms of ethnic difference and the negotiation of American race relations. Musical comedy, wherein standup comedians perform song onstage, represents one facet of this expression that configures musical texts and expectations in the service of cultural observation and critique. Bo Burnham and Reggie Watts characterize two disparate approaches to the practice based on their aesthetic tastes, existential anxieties, and racial experiences. The two present their respective identities onstage in relation to a changing American political landscape of the early 21st century that has seen widespread …

Flipping The Coin: Towards A Double-Faced Approach To Teaching Black Literature In Secondary English Classrooms, Vincent Ray Price

Theory and Practice in Teacher Education Publications and Other Works

Critiquing two approaches that English teachers use to teach Black, or African-American, literature in the secondary classroom—one that centralizes races and the other that ignores it—this article proposes a hybrid approach that combines both. This double-faced approach recognizes the culturally specific themes that give the text and the Black author their unique voice while also recognizing commonalities that bridge the text to others—despite the race of the authors. To demonstrate the feasibility of the double-faced approach, the article concludes with an examination of three texts through the lens of this “race both matters and doesn’t matter” perspective.

The Political Illegitimacy Of "Superstition:" Obeah After The Morant Bay Rebellion, 1865-1900, Rachael Mackenzie Maclean

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Rewriting Rebellions: The Manichean Allegory And Imperial Ideology In The Works Of H.G. De Lisser, Rachael Mackenzie Maclean

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Compositions In Black And Brown: Manifestations Of Afro-Latinity In U.S. Black Latino/A Literary Discourse, Janelle Chevon Coleman

Doctoral Dissertations

Through an analysis of the literature by Afro-Latino writers Junot Díaz, Evelio Grillo, Piri Thomas and Loida Maritza Pérez, my dissertation shows how the multifaceted nature of Afro-Latino/a identity and culture is reflected in the works of three novels written by Spanish-speaking authors who self-identify as Afro-Caribbean Americans. I use criticism from such scholars as Juan Flores, Miriam Jiménez, and Jorge Gracia to show that U.S. Afro-Latinity is not representative of an essence, but rather of a set of common manifestations resulting from conflicting concepts of race and ethnicity. I assert that U.S. Black Latinos not only possess a unique …

Afro-Environmentalism: Black Stewardship In The New Millennium, Shelby Renee Burks Ward

Black Issues Conference

In the 21st century, societies face serious environmental problems. Black leadership in the environmental arena—stewardship—is vital for successful decision-making that respects all life on the planet, human health, and sustainable economy. Afro-environmentalism will explore how the legacy of the civil rights movement inspires environmental activism, current environmental problems, and how people of African descent are needed to effectively address those problems.

As African-Americans, the civil rights leaders of yesterday gave us an incredible legacy. Men and women fought against oppression and gave their lives for equal treatment, justice, and freedom. Today, environmental problems also include matters of injustice, untruth, and …

Black Leadership In Historical Perspective, Cynthia Griggs Fleming

Black Issues Conference

My presentation will focus on the changing nature of black leadership over the last 100 years - from the era of Booker T. Washington to the age of Barack Obama.

Unity In The Black Community, Cecilia Uhlezipi Shamis Dzingira

Black Issues Conference

Dzingira, Cecilia

Black Issues Conference 2012

Unity in the Black Community

Abstract

Background: As an African American student who attends a pre-dominantly White Institution, I’ve found that the importance of unity is much more greater than we allow it to appear; by “We” I am referring to the African-American population that rests within the University’s community. When a new student is admitted into the University, it is not difficult that not only is there segregation between all races of students, but also within the different races lays a much deeper separation. Because of these issues that rise within communities …

Gather At The Table: The Healing Journey Of A Daughter Of Slavery And A Son Of The Slave Trade, Thomas Norman Dewolf, Sharon Leslie Morgan

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

ABSTRACT

Two people from diverse backgrounds — a black woman and a white man — embarked upon a three-year “healing journey” to attempt to overcome the trauma of historic harms brought on by America’s legacy of slavery and the lingering effects of present-day racism. Illustrated through the stories of their lives—and those of their ancestors — Gather at the Table is informed by trauma healing, restorative justice, and peacebuilding skills the authors learned through their work at Eastern Mennonite University and its STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) and Coming to the Table programs. EMU is an acclaimed resource …

Race, Memory, And Historical Responsibility: What Do Southerners Do With A Difficult Past?, Larry J. Griffin, Peggy G. Hargis

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

Newly emerging, transitional societies –– that is, societies that traded dictatorial or authoritarian rule for some form of open or liberal polity –– face at least three interdependent problems of what is called in legal scholarship and social science “transitional justice”: the first is how (if at all) to hold the old regime’s autocratic, often violence-laden leadership responsible for its wrongdoings while in power; the second is what (if anything) to do with thousands upon thousands of ordinary folk whose participation in, or compliance with, the old regime helped legitimate and thus perpetuate the wrongdoing; and the third task how …

Sankofa: Preserving Your Cultural Heritage Through The Art Of Narratives And Story-Telling, Theressa N Cooper

Black Issues Conference

As research has struggled to identify and define the Black experience (Du Bois, 1903; Bell, 2002), Obidah (2003) suggests that one of the lasting theoretical frameworks that resonates for the social science community and for Black people themselves is Dubois’ (1903) notion of double consciousness. Dubois (1903) found that as African Americans, we live two lives – one that is full of pride for its African-ness and all that it encompasses; and a the second life in which we have to assimilate into the American (White) culture. Therein lies the struggle, where the African American is seeking to find a …

"Is This The Fruit Of Freedom?" Black Civil War Veterans In Tennessee, Paul E. Coker

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the meaning of the Civil War in the South by examining the experience of Tennessee’s black Union army soldiers and veterans from the 1860s through the early twentieth century. Today historians almost reflexively agree that the black military experience took on an “ever larger meaning” in American society, but few scholars have given sustained attention to black soldiers’ lives in the postwar South. My dissertation finds that the black military experience profoundly disrupted Southern hierarchies and presented black men with unprecedented opportunities to elevate their political, economic, and social status; however, these aspirations rarely went uncontested. Nearly …

Toward A Philosophy Of Race In Education, Corey V Kittrell

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a tendency in education theory to place the focus on the consequences of racial hegemony (racism, Eurocentric education, low performance by racial minorities) and ignore that race is antecedent to these consequences. This dissertation explores the treatment of race within critical theory in education. I conduct a metaphysical analysis to examine the race concept as it emerges from the works of various critical theorists in education. This examination shows how some scholars affirm the scientifically discredited race concept by offering racial essentialist approaches for emancipatory education. I argue that one of consequences of these approaches is the further …

“Holla If You Hear Me”: A Conversation With Black, Inner-City Youth On Career Preparedness Programs, Theressa N. Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations

This research study specifically addressed; how vocational preparedness programs effect the career aspirations of Black youth, within the context of the Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring program. The goal of this research is to represent Black youth participating in a vocational preparedness program. Interviews, journals, and rich, thick descriptions are utilized in this work.

Using the lens of narrative inquiry and cultural studies, I hoped to further the field of career development through the experiences of some of its key players, African American youth. Within the context of their stories five major themes surfaced around the ideas: …

I Am Not My Hair...Or Am I?: Exploring The Minority Swimming Gap, Dawn M. Norwood

Doctoral Dissertations

A review of literature has revealed a dearth of research on leisure swimming patterns of Black females. Black youth, both male and female, have a higher rate of drowning than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States (“Water‐related injuries: Fact sheet”, 2005). Two known studies produced by (Irwin et al., 2009; 2010) examining hair as a constraint to swimming for African American youth produced conflicting results. In order to comprehensively examine hair as a constraint to African American female participation in swimming, the current study adopted a qualitative approach which allowed exploration of the cultural background and experiences of …

Haitian Protestant Views Of Vodou And The Importance Of Karacte Within A Transnational Social Field, Bertin M. Louis Jr.

Anthropology Publications and Other Works

The ways that some Haitian Protestants view of Vodou and the importance of karactè (character) have emerged as two interrelated and fundamental aspects of Haitian Protestant worldview within a transnational social field. First, many Haitian Protestants believe the practice of Vodou since the Bwa Kayiman ceremony is the main reason why Haiti is mired in a socioeconomic crisis. Second, the development of a Haitian individual’s karactè through Haitian Protestantism is seen by a growing number of Haitian Protestants in the Bahamas, Haiti and the United States as a remedy that can transform the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere into …

Haitian Americans, Bertin M. Louis Jr.

Anthropology Publications and Other Works

On January 12th, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, Leogane and other parts of Haiti. This natural disaster claimed more than 230,000 lives and left more than 1 million Haitians homeless. As Americans watched horrifying images of devastation, death and destruction, Haitian Americans in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, New York and Chicago, Illinois tried to contact their loved ones. Many people around the world wondered whether or not Haiti, a country with a long, turbulent history was cursed, as the Reverend Pat Robertson stated on his show called the 700 Club; …

Book Review: Losing The Race: Self-Sabotage In Black America By John H. Mcwhorter, Bertin M. Louis Jr.

Anthropology Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Joseph Delaney: Retrospective Exhibition (Exhibition Catalogue), Sam Yates, Joseph Delaney

Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture

Joseph Delaney was organized as part of the events for Homecoming '86 at the University of Tennessee. This solo exhibition featured 68 paintings and drawings by the artist.