Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Feelings That Drive, Kayla M. Jackson

LSU Master's Theses

Feelings That Drive is an interdisciplinary, multimodal thesis that blends poetry, personal narrative, lyrical essays, and spiritual reflection to explore the complex intersections of Black identity, memory, trauma, resilience, and healing in the contemporary American South. Framed in five thematic sections—Worn, Anxiousness, Desperation, Hopeful, and Restored—the work traverses emotional and geographic landscapes, most notably the author’s home in New Orleans, to trace the cumulative effects of racialized trauma, familial rupture, and spiritual seeking. Through nonlinear storytelling and form-breaking verse, the thesis confronts experiences such as anti-Blackness in institutional spaces, gendered violence, economic precarity, generational silence, and the haunting …

Considering The Ethics Of Conserving American Art: White Nationalism And The Evolving Meanings Of Nineteenth-Century Genre And Landscape Painting, Evan M. Crocker

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the stylistic and conceptual qualities of American genre and landscape painting from the antebellum period and how these qualities acted in service to establishing white nationalism before the Civil War. The intricate and calculated system of typing in genre painting presented carefully crafted idealizations of quintessential Americans, defined by their whiteness and maleness. Landscape painters of the early- to mid-nineteenth century endowed their compositions with a sense of wondrous opportunity which justified and upheld westward expansion under Manifest Destiny. At the intersection of genre and landscape practices sits plantation paintings—specifically house portraits—in which the plantation serves as …

Internationalisation Zen, Kalyani Unkule

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

The Finest Orientalism: "The Orient" And Empire In 19th Century Romantic Poetry, Nathan D. Banfield

Graduate Masters Theses

This project seeks to interrogate the way that nineteenth-century Romantic authors incorporated tropes and depictions of the Near East in their poetry, and the relationship that their use of these tropes has to furthering the British Empire’s imperial aims. Drawing from the theory of “Orientalism” articulated by Edward Said, and his theoretical underpinnings in Michel Foucault’s theory of discourse analysis, I consider four major Romantic poets whose works articulate different versions of “The Orient” as a discursive entity. Said postulates that the “The Orient,” rather than being an inaccurate depiction of an existing geopolitical region, is a fabrication which is …

Leaving The (Mother)Land: Nationalist Entrapment Of The Doubly Colonized Irish Woman In Joyce’S Dubliners And Boland’S Poetry, Blake Harrsch

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This paper explores how James Joyce’s “A Mother” and “Eveline” and Eavan Boland’s “The Lost Land” and “Mother Ireland” illuminate the gendered sacrifices underpinning Irish nationalism through the lens of double colonization. Joyce’s female protagonists are caught between personal desire and cultural obligation: Mrs. Kearney’s assertiveness leads to public dismissal, while Eveline’s paralysis reveals the psychic toll of conflating domestic labor with patriotic duty. Boland’s poems, in turn, demonstrate how both staying and leaving reinforce women’s entrapment within nationalist ideologies. In “The Lost Land,” the mother’s grief is naturalized as part of her expected role in preserving the homeland, while …

[2025 Winner] Fear Is Knocking: No Abras La Puerta, Destiny Jimenez

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This paper explores the impact of deportations and unauthorized immigration on the Mexican community. By focusing on the social, emotional, and economic challenges faced by Mexican immigrants due to their legal status, this paper examines how deportation policies disproportionately affect their lives. Drawing from my own family's experience, I reflect on my mother's journey as an immigrant and how her experiences shed light on the broader struggles of many in the community.

Adhd Diagnosis And Treatment Within Ethnic Minority Groups, Dianthe Hoang

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly diagnosed in childhood, and the National Survey of Children’s Health reported that ADHD had a prevalence of around 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years old (NSCH, 2016). This review discusses the cultural and socioeconomic barriers that contribute to the underdiagnosis and treatment in members of ethnic minority communities. Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian adults received less mental health care compared to White Americans. Previous findings indicated that cultural factors, such as misinterpretation of symptoms from families and teachers and cultural perceptions of mental health, contributed to disparities …

A Seat At The Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist And Womanist Theory, Natasha M. Capers

Student Theses

“A Seat at the Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist and Womanist Theory” critically examines how curriculum, even when well-intentioned, can perpetuate harm by excluding the lived experiences of marginalized communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ students. Using a real middle school immigration assignment given to the author's son as a case study, this capstone deconstructs the structural biases embedded in curriculum design and proposes a radical reimagining through the liberatory lenses of Afrofuturism and Womanism. Blending scholarly inquiry, personal narrative, and community-based interviews, this project offers a restructured assignment that centers joy, identity, and speculative storytelling as tools for educational …

Advancing Equity In Financial Aid For Black Students: A Document Analysis Study Of Student Equity Plans In California Community Colleges, Edwina Williams

Dissertations

This study examined how California Community Colleges (CCCs) constructed financial aid discourse in Student Equity Plans (SEPs) and assessed whether these strategies mitigated or perpetuated racial disparities for Black students. Previous scholarship identified racial inequities in financial aid systems and explored how equity planning documents addressed race; yet, the influence of institutional discourse on financial aid access remained underexamined. This study contributed to the literature by applying critical race hermeneutics (CRH) to examine how SEPs outlined financial aid strategies, with particular attention to the framing of work–study opportunities and the extent to which the SEP intended to employ race-conscious approaches. …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

Exploring A Holistic Conceptualization Of Destructive Leadership: Perspectives From The Lived Experiences Of Latino Law Enforcement Command Staff Officers, Carmelin Rivera

Dissertations

Recently, there has been an increased interest in destructive leadership or what is characterized as the dark side of leadership. There is, in fact, no consensus in the literature about the definition of destructive leadership, and this murkiness has led to two somewhat different approaches to understanding this phenomenon: 1) a leader-centric approach that emphasizes the bad behaviors and traits of so-called toxic leaders and 2) a much broader, holistic approach, often discussed as the toxic triangle (Padilla et al., 2007), that focuses on how destructive leadership is co-created by a toxic system of bad leaders and susceptible followers …

Respectability, Code-Switching, And Expression: Examining The Experience Of Black Expressive Arts Therapists Through A Sociolinguistic Lens, Darrien Bush

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores how the linguistic phenomenon of code-switching can be applied to expressive arts and expressive arts therapy to describe the experience of Black expressive therapists. The review outlines the evolution of the term, reasons why individuals switch codes, and how this affects their experience. The understanding of code-switching is then examined in expressive arts and the expressive arts therapy field. A history and understanding of code-switching in Black communities is also explored, connecting Black experiences of code-switching and expressive arts therapy programs. A discussion suggests that culturally relevant practices are implicitly discouraged due to dominant expectations. Future …

“How Can We Sing In A Strange Land?” The Pastoral Musician As A Master Griot/Griotte, Dollie Howell

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The writer of Psalm 137 asks a question that poignantly resonates with the experiences of enslaved Africans who were taken captive, exiled from their homelands, and told to forget their languages, worship practices, and tribal traditions. Their dehumanization was intensified by expectations that “required a song and . . . mirth.” The question was “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” In response to this question of engaging in song as a community while in a strange land of deep and persistent systemic suffering, enslaved African-descended people founded a unique tradition within Christianity that responded to …

“Gray Areas In The Land Of The Setting Sun”: Unresolved Legacies, Contested Identities, And Economic Stakes In The Western Sahara Stalemate, Driss Zaim-Sassi

Senior Theses

While colonialism across the globe has mostly been dismantled following World War II, nations across the globe continue to deal with unresolved colonial legacies and resource-driven conflicts. As a result, we continue to see regional instability affecting vulnerable regions. Understanding the stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict highlights the complex interplay between history, identity, and economic motives, emphasizing the critical need for nuanced approaches in conflict resolution and diplomacy. My research investigates the roles of key factors that sustain the diplomatic stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict through an in-depth analysis of Morocco’s territorial claims, the ideological differences around identity …

A Pastoral Music Response In Support Of The Universal Apostolic Preferences Of The Society Of Jesus, Daniel Dangca

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

This thesis establishes the relationship between Catholic congregational song and the apostolic work of the Society of Jesus. The Society of Jesus is currently at the halfway mark of their ten-year plan guided by the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs). These UAPs focus on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, marginalized communities, young people, and caring for the earth. Currently, there are no resources that exist that promote the UAPs through the lens of liturgical music. It is the hope that the suggested hymns, whether sung in the community or individually, deepen the spiritual journey of the participants as …

Matthew Kinnard, Matthew A. Kinnard M.S., Ph.D.

We Are NIH Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Law Enforcement Communication With The Black Deaf Community, Jeanelle Francis

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Law enforcement’s relationship with the Deaf community, particularly the African American/Black Deaf population, has historically been tense, leading to wrongful arrests, police brutality, and even fatalities. This capstone project examines the barriers to effective interaction between law enforcement and the Deaf community, specifically in first-encounter situations, highlighting the Black Deaf experience. Past research has addressed the language barriers that Deaf individuals face in situations such as traffic stops and legal proceedings. However, it rarely examines the specific experiences of Deaf Black/African American families impacted by police-induced trauma caused by an unfair power dynamic. This project is an exploratory study to …

Drone Strikes In Pakistan, Muhammad Shumail

Capstones

my capstone maps all the drone strikes in Pakistan from 2004 to 2018. it show how many drone strikes were conducted during each president tenure and how many civilians were killed.

https://techman96.github.io/drone-strikes/

Considering The Need For Congruence In Closing The Gap, Target 10: Reducing High Rates Of Adult Aboriginal Incarceration, Jane Anderson, Narelle Carroll, Boobaditj (Also Known As Phillip Ugle)

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

The federal and Western Australia (WA) state governments have made a national commitment to reducing high rates of Aboriginal adults held in incarceration, using, respectively, justice reinvestment and bureaucratic inclusion of Aboriginal representatives and organisations. This aspiration is also being pursued by an Aboriginal team who seek to establish a place-based Aboriginal justice support service in a WA regional town. The proposed service is underpinned by a combination of justice reinvestment and restorative justice principles and aims to use peer support workers who will effectively increase community agency in justice matters. This article examines congruence between federal, state and local …

Climate Change Impacts On Drinking Water Security: A Comparative Study In Australia’S Remote Central Australia And Torres Strait Islands, Nina Lansbury, Julia Bradford, Sandra J. Creamer, Geoffrey Evans

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are well adapted to the many different environments in which they have lived for thousands of years. However, their environments and communities are highly vulnerable to impacts of anthropogenic climate change, including increasing threats to the security of drinking water supplies. Climate change is intensifying the significant social and economic disadvantage Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities face from poverty, poor housing, and poor health including high exposure to infectious and other diseases. Lack of sufficient safe, clean, drinking water could force Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to leave their homelands, adding …

Langston Hughes And The “Afro-American Narrative” Tradition, Paul Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

After introducing Langston Hughes and defining Robert B. Stepto’s “Afro-American narrative” tradition, Chapter One presents a biography of Hughes from his birth in 1902 until he came under the patronage of Charlotte Osgood Mason in 1927. Chapter One also addresses the aesthetic expectations of the Harlem Renaissance and the extent to which Hughes either met or failed to meet those expectations. Chapter Two presents a reading of Not without Laughter as an integrated narrative, addressing how Hughes’s authenticating strategies and Mason’s authenticating devices evenly control the novel. Chapter Three presents a reading of Hughes’s short-story cycle, The Ways of White …

Alternative Worlds: John Maddox Iv’S Fractal Families In New Millennium Narratives Of Afro-Puerto Rican Women, Roberta Hurtado

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Interlude 3: Untitled By Wifredo Lam, Mey-Yen Moriuchi

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

“El Chino Se Considera Blanco Y Basta”: Racialización, Negritud Y Agencia En Apuntes Históricos De Los Chinos En Cuba De Antonio Chuffat Latour, Sebastián Díaz Martínez

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

Apuntes históricos de los chinos en Cuba (1927) del escritor afro-chino-cubano Antonio Chuffat Latour es un caso privilegiado para analizar los imaginarios asociados raciales entre poblaciones afrocubanas y sino-cubanas frente a las discursos sobre la nación en la Cuba republicana. Si bien en el caso puntual de Chuffat ha sido contextualizado como un activo integrante de movimientos afrocubanos (Yun, 2008), es bastante limitada la presencia o importancia acordada a lo negro dentro de su obra. Aunque esta tiene como objetivo la recopilación de distintas fuentes sobre la experiencia china en Cuba, las interacciones y relaciones de mestizaje cultural entre ambas …

Full Issue, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Author Bios, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

Conversations And Educating People About Traumatic Experiences, Cynthia Ortega

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This Capstone project focused on writing a book for young adults about the different traumas people experience, including generational trauma, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health struggles. These difficult topics were often discussed, yet the goal was to encourage open conversations that helped individuals recognize trauma and learn about available resources. My mother, Theresa Preciado, experienced all these challenges, and sharing her story aimed to inspire others to speak up. Her journey reflected the struggles of many, offering relatability, education, and understanding. Readers were made aware that the book included emotionally heavy content. At its core, this project sought …

A Cultural Pluralistic Reading On The Afro- And Chinese-Cuban Communities In Memorias De Una Cubanita Que Nació Con El Siglo (1964), Francisco Chen-López

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

This article deploys the cultural pluralism theory, which focuses on how minoritized groups integrate while preserving their cultural identities instead of assimilating into the dominant culture. In her memoir, Renée Méndez Capote describes how Black and Chinese people coexisted in twentieth-century Cuba while maintaining their own cultural identities and were in the process of integrating into the definition of the cubanidad. Via this theoretical framework, this research provides a different approach to studying the literary representation of Afro-Asian relationships in Cuba, aiming to contribute to the constantly growing field of Afro-Asian studies in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Interlude 1: The Eternal Presence By Wifredo Lam, Mey-Yen Moriuchi

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

The Chinese-Afro-Cuban Diaspora And Its Many Faces, Wiliam Luis

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.