African American Studies Commons^™

Stonewall:The Spark Of Queer Culture, Mariah M. Geisler

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The rebellion classified as Stonewall didn’t birth the gay liberation movement but spread it farther than it had gone before. Stonewall challenged people’s understanding of the laws pertaining to gender expression. The history was portrayed as being a reflection of white centralism, while the reality is that the event was built off the backs of racial minorities. Through a further understanding of 1960s gay counterculture, people can better realize the reasons for Stonewall. Stonewall was the historical event that popularized the spread of gay liberation movements, it gave people hope for a more accepting future. The present still feels the …

Kalunga Crossings: Waterscapes Of Terror And "Teachment" In The African Atlantic World, Dianne M. Stewart, Tracey E. Hucks, Solimar Otero

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

In this article, we think alongside historian of religions Charles H. Long to analyze the relationship between water and empire, explore theoretical approaches to water and modernity, and probe the significance of water in Africana ecologies and spiritual cultures, highlighting its suggestive contributions to restorative epistemologies of ecological co-habitation. Our investigation advances an Africana religious framework of “waterscapes of terror and ‘teachment’” that centers diaspora bodies of water as loci for analyzing history, materiality, and ecological regard. Teachment is an anti-colonial linguistic irruption, an all-encompassing term for Africana pedagogies and epistemologies that defy antiblack and anti-African colonial instruction. Examining how …

The Tenth Annual Report Of The American Society For Colonizing The Free People Of Colour Of The United States: With An Appendix, Tembani D. Barro Jr.

Publications and Research

The Tenth Annual Report of the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour of the United States (1827) outlines the objectives, activities, and ideological foundations of the American Colonization Society during the early nineteenth century. The report details efforts to promote the relocation of free African Americans to the colony of Liberia, emphasizing arguments related to moral reform, racial coexistence, and national stability. Included financial statements, correspondence, and administrative updates document the Society’s organizational growth and political support. The appendix supplements the report with speeches and supporting documents that reflect contemporary attitudes toward race, freedom, and colonization. As …

Star Wars: Andor – An Abolitionist Study Guide, Marcelo Garzo Montalvo, Isaac Ginsberg Miller

Feminist Pedagogy

This study guide provides a set of activities for teaching abolition through Season 1 of the speculative fiction TV series Star Wars: Andor (2022). Through the practice of critical literacy (viewing, reading, and analysis), we offer various ideas on how to engage Andor as a relevant pedagogical tool for studying and teaching abolitionist movement histories and methodologies. By guiding students through a critical analysis of this widely-circulated, mainstream cultural text, we seek to activate an abolitionist pedagogical lens that can be applied across various genres and media – making tangible connections between popular culture and political struggles writ large. These …

Las Voices: The Impact On Black Young Males In A Critical Mentorship Program In The Las Vegas Valley, Sean C. Tory

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In America, Black young males face an enormous amount of pressure regarding their social and racial identity. They battle with racial macro/microaggressions, stereotypes, racism, and socialization from various industries and systems. The community organization, King of Jewels, has been able to adopt effective strategies to help Black young males navigate these issues through critical mentorship. This paper will first demonstrate the importance of critical mentorship, Black Racial Identity Development, and will then outline the steps necessary to fill the gaps found in mentorship and Black Racial Identity Development literature. This qualitative study investigates the use of critical mentorship (CM) and …

The Maroons: The First Black Nationalists Of The Americas, Marquise K. Camp

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maroon communities are seldom discussed in academic discussions about Black nationalism. This suggests that the goals and achievements of the Maroons differed from those of Black nationalists, and that there are no significant historical links between the two. This project argues that Black nationalists and the Maroons are closely related, not only because of their shared roots in the African diaspora but also because they both sought independence and self-governance for Black people. The aims of Black nationalists like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X closely resemble those of the Maroons. By examining the Maroons alongside Black nationalism, one can gain …

Diplomacy Derailed: Discrimination’S Detour On Route 40, Gage A. Kivlen

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The 1961 Route 40 campaign in Maryland became a critical battleground where three competing approaches to addressing racial segregation revealed deep contradictions in Cold War America. Route 40, a major highway between Washington D.C. and New York, became an international embarrassment when African diplomats from newly independent nations were repeatedly refused service at restaurants and hotels. This crisis prompted responses from three distinct actors: the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which employed grassroots organizing and direct action; the State Department's Special Protocol Service Section (SPSS), which pursued top-down diplomatic solutions; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which conducted extensive …

Citizens Bank Of Jacksonville Statement Slips

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Statement slips from Citizens Bank of Jacksonville with handwritten notes. Undated.

R. F. Bowden, Tax Collector Payment Form

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Payment form to the order of R. F. Bowden, Tax Collector, Jacksonville, Florida. Handwritten on reverse: R. E. Kimmell. Undated.

You Are Invited To Open A Charge Account That Builds Dollars Banking Brochure

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Brochure: The Citizens Bank of Jacksonville brochure regarding opening a charge account. Undated.

Denise Oliver-Vélez - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Denise Oliver-Vélez not only has one of the most remarkable lives to be recorded for both the BHS and Bronx African-American History Project archives, she also possesses a beautiful spirit, simplicity, and generosity in her personality. It would be expected for a person of such prowess to sound the part and be hard to comprehend in all her sophistication. Despite deserving this podium, Oliver-Vélez’s life is a testament to the power that lies in understanding others, rather than acting above them. In finishing an exceptional interview, she makes sure to leave a piece of advice to future communities and those …

King’S Wigwam: Atlanta’S Forgotten Black Summer Resort, Andrew J. Bramlett, Seneca Vaught

Symposium of Student Scholars

From 1915 to 1920, the only summer resort for Black Atlantans was King’s Wigwam, located north of the small farming community of Kennesaw. Situated on over forty acres owned by Auburn Avenue entrepreneur Cornelius King, the summer resort saw a host of notable visitors during its short five years of existence. During the 1919 season, a guest named Bertram Hamilton was falsely accused of rape in nearby Cherokee County. He was taken to the county jail as an angry mob gathered. The county sheriff, who had been part of the mob that lynched Leo Frank four years before, believed Hamilton …

The Evolution And Impact Of The Token Black Friend Trope In American Media, Sophie E. Rice, Kurt Milberger

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

This research explores the history of the token Black friend trope in American media and how these misrepresentations continue to influence popular culture and negatively impact Black Americans. Historically, the token Black friend stereotype singles out Black characters to fill gaps in the plot through comedy, intelligence, or self-sacrifice, all while being excluded from the white protagonist’s larger narrative. The prevalence of this trope is apparent through several contemporary and classic examples, which are used to evaluate the effects of the token Black friend trope on American culture. To deconstruct these misrepresentations, this essay supplements these examples with scholarship …

Edward Lowe - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

In 1960, Lowe’s parents moved to Paulding Avenue, and they lived right next to the Fordham Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. At this time, Lowe’s mother had recently graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1954, and was now getting her Masters in law at Columbia University. When he wasn’t bothering his mother studying, Lowe and his friends would often play around Paulding Avenue, visiting the Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. He also had a sister named Leslie and they both went to PS 59 on 183rd and Bathgate together. His family then moved to Teaneck, New …

Denise Oliver Vélez - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Describing both the connection and discipline of the YLP, Oliver-Vélez remembers “detention” being held in the Bronx, where a member would read and recite their wrongs in writing before returning to Manhattan to pick up children for free breakfast programs, take them to school, pick up papers, and distribute them for the remainder of the day. She remembers this discipline and the art of the Palante newspaper (1970–76) as quintessential parts of most grassroots organizations of the time. Her commitment to the YLP was significant. Members lived collectively and created ingenious solutions to systemic medical, food scarcity, and education issues …

Frederick Collins - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Frederick Collins - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Dr. Collins tells the story of 1520 Sedgwick as a place of loss and morality, where tragic events happened “few and far between,” but the community always looked out for each other and was primarily peaceful and safe. It was this environment, of eager youth and supportive adults, that helped the culture that hip hop would blossom from. The sounds that would subsequently be created were a product of this safe space. Also prevalent in the interview is the accurate account of this development from Collins’ perspective, as one of the first three children to live in the building. He …

Bryson Peter - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 1 (Addendum), Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.