Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Italians Inside American Government: New York Politicians & Black Equality In The United States, From The 1920s-1950s, Nathanael Geraci

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the Italian-American fight for Black civil rights from New Yorkers in government. As congressmen, mayors, and governors during the 1920s-1950s, politicians of Italian descent worked consistently for the cause of African-American equality. Despite extensive documentation of their pro-Black action, the work of these Italian-Americans has remained hidden.

Corridors, Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca

Theses and Dissertations

After twenty years away, Anj has come home to the Philippines, where three generations of women mourn the death of her estranged father. But one day in her family’s ancestral house is enough to remind her why she left. And why she might never escape.

Mixed Feelings: The Emotional Appeals Of Zitkala-Ša’S American Indian Stories, Kayla Joan Baur

Publications and Research

Zitkala-Ša (Lakota: Zitkála-Šá, meaning Red Bird) was among the first to write about the experiences of Native American children in the U.S. Indian boarding school program to an English-speaking audience. As a writer and political activist, Zitkala-Ša uses emotional appeals and cultural ideas she learned through her white education to expose the very boarding school institutions that taught her. In American Indian Studies (1921), Zitkala-Ša critiques the violence that the Indian boarding school system inflicts on young Native Americans. She presents these critiques through emotional appeals that take two forms: one, a more traditional sentimental appeal associated with middle-class white …

Peace, Power, And Precarity: Examining Brazil’S Potential As An Emerging Global And Regional Leader, Mackenzie A. Berwick

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

Brazil is poised to emerge as a critical player in the Southern Hemisphere. The nation’s economic success has been accompanied by efforts to play a prominent role in international peace and security. This financial dynamism has offered the country a degree of legitimacy on issues of global trade and energy. However, a protracted social conflict in Rio De Janeiro’s favelas threatens that status. Brazil cannot access international esteem and influence without addressing its domestic situation. This paper applies Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict theory to reveal an internal state of disorder in Brazilian favelas that impairs the nation’s ability to …

Fatphobia Against Black Women: Let’S Talk About It, Lily Lockwood

Student Zines

This zine was created for the course WS 297Z: Black Sexualities and Creative Resistance, taught by Prof. Elodie Silberstein.

The Portrayal Of Stereotypes Of Latin American Men In American Television And Film, Karina Nava

Gender Studies Student Scholarship

In this project I seek to examine the ways in which Latin American men are stereotyped in American television and film in the form of controlling images and the impacts that these controlling images may bring. The purpose of this project is to show how television and film can not only contribute to the creation of stereotypes but enforce them as well. It also seeks to bring attention to the ways in which these stereotypes can affect societal and self-perception of Latinos, and the consequences that come with these perceptions. This will be done through a cross-disciplinary analysis using Gender …

Hypersexualization And Sexual Racism: Effect Of Controlling Imagery On Female Low-Wage Asian American Workers, Charlie Yang

Gender Studies Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Class Of 1884: Black Education In Louisville And The Inaugural Graduating Class Of Central Colored High School., Jordan Tierre Jackson-Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers both a historical analysis of the emergence of the black public school system in Louisville, Kentucky and a probe into the academic posture of 19^th century black education in the state. It addresses how the early black school in Kentucky worked to shape students’ self-image and worldview by focusing on Louisville’s Central Colored High School, the first public high school for blacks in Kentucky, and more closely, its 1884 yearbook––a collection of student-essays in which each of the seven inaugural graduates wrote lengthy reports concerning their individual outlook on education, American society, and the Negro’s responsibilities …

“Beating Back The Past”: The Psychological Justifications Of Violence In Toni Morrison’S Fiction, Catherine Buhse

English Honors Theses

This thesis examines the traumatic experiences that consume characters’ lives and, in the absence of psychological healing efforts, manifest into violent actions in Toni Morrison’s three novels The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved. I focus on the gendered experience of the female characters Pecola, Sula, Eva, and Sethe, except for the male character, Cholly in The Bluest Eye. Focusing on Morrison’s humanization of violent characters and her sharing of their full life stories, I establish the characters’ internal justifications for their violence to challenge the accepted depiction of all criminals as evil. The three chapters follow the manifestation of trauma …

Dystopian Novels And The Greater Boston Area: A Reflection On Privilege, Leonersy J. Guerrero

English Honors Theses

Dystopian fiction has long been a vehicle for exploring societal issues and envisioning potential futures. Although many view the genre as a form of escapism, these novels have the potential to make grand statements about the nature of humanity. From George Orwell's 1984 to Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, these narratives serve as a reflection of our current societal standing and project potential consequences of our collective actions. However, within the realm of dystopian literature, there exists a significant gap in equal representation of the experiences and unique perspectives of the Black community. Specifically, within the context of …

Building Positive Gender Expressions Among Mexican-American College Students, Nezahualcóyotl Paniagua-Jiménez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the need for college programs to nurture and support positive gender expressions among Mexican-American college students. It does so through a historical and cultural analysis of gender identities and expressions within the Mexican community and how they impact the lives of Mexican-American college students. Additionally, it offers an exploration of potential practices and programs that support the development of positive identity and gender expressions, with a lens of intersectionality, to ensure students are allowed to critically explore and develop gender identities that move away from domination/subservience power structures and that are founded on their unique cultural background.

Reclaiming Tremé: A Design Research Thesis, Tori Dunston

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

Reclaiming Tremé explores the potential for design to support the well-being of the oldest African American neighborhood divided by urban highway projects in the US. This comprehensive thesis that seeks to improve the well-being the neighborhood using precedents, historical context, and the quantifiable architectural goals of WELL v2, to present a design solution for Tremé. Through understanding the current communities needs and having historical context of the area, the design strategy focuses on creating a vibrant cultural core that enhances the community's well-being. By integrating new structures and amenities, preserving cultural heritage, and enhancing physical and social infrastructure, the project …

Dakodia Wohdaka: Indigenous Language Revitalization In The Lower Sioux Indian Community, Gavin Zempel

Student Research, Papers, and Creative Works

Many Indigenous languages in the Americas are drastically declining in the number of fluent speakers and use within their own communities. The Bdewakantunwan Dialect of Lower Sioux Indian Community in southwestern Minnesota is one of the afore-mentioned Indigenous languages with the last fluent speaker of Dakota in the community passing years ago. Language is essential for maintaining identity, conducting ceremony, mental health, maintaining Indigenous sovereignty, and much more. Revitalizing the Dakota language in Lower Sioux would facilitate the growth of and maintenance of all of the previously said benefits, along with the advantages of bilingualism. The text explores many different …

Book Review: Something In The Water: A History Of Music In Macon, Georgia, 1823-1980, Timothy Cole Hale

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Honor: How Indigenous Students Harness Resilience And Cultural Wealth To Thrive At A Borderlands University, Lourdes Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study sheds light on students' lived experiences regarding Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) at Borderlands University (BU), a Hispanic-serving institution on the U.S.-Mexico border where First Peoples lived for thousands of years. This study supports Indigenous students whose dismal national college graduation rates must be addressed. It recognizes studentsâ?? cultural wealth and richness (Yosso, 2005) and is grounded by the Peoplehood Matrix (Holm, 2003; Tachine, Cabrera, and Yellow Bird, 2017). This study was consistent with previous studies revealing that prioritizing student support raises equity and improves the overall academic experiences for all students in higher education (Tachine …

Lessons In Persistence, Syble Heffernan

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LESSONS IN PERSISTENCE is a thesis that operates within the tradition of writing about trauma and resilience, taking up themes of mental illness, class, colonialism, loss of a parent, navigating queerness in a conservative Christian context, and reckoning with gender-based violence and expectations directed toward people socialized as women. The use of ecopoetics highlights the relationship between traumas to the earth brought about by climate change, war, and worldwide suffering, and those brought upon the human body (specifically marginalized bodies) by grief, illness, abuse, and the loss of self. The collection ultimately aims to establish explicit connections between internal and …

The Good White Guise: Rhetorical (Re)Constructions Of White Allies On U.S. Television, Dakota J. Sandras

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In this dissertation, I observe how white allyship has been (re)constructed in media by analyzing its representations on mainstream television amidst peak moments of racial reckoning in the United States. In light of heightened demands for antiracist solidarity, I interrogate how such popular texts contribute to gaps between the theory and practice of allyship within the white imaginary. By attending to episodic samples from three distinct genres of American television, I dissect how various interactions and characters coded to signify white allyship rhetorically function to create meaning regarding its contested im/possibilities in both media and in the real world. In …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

Victim Or Villain: Female Resilience And Agency In The Face Of Trauma In Chimamanda Adichie’S, Purple Hibiscus (2003) And Tsitsi Dangarembga’S, Nervous Conditions (1988), Adaobi Juliet Chukwuma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As long as disparities persist in the way women are treated as compared to their male counterparts, the issue of gender will continue to call forth literary productions. For this reason, female writers are on a mission to dismantle the stereotypes that keep women confined to societal roles. Grounded in a feminist framework, this study focuses on the gender disparity theme in Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. The aim is to examine how these writers represent the trauma of women living in an African patriarchal system. The traumatic experiences of the female characters in both texts …

Manifesting The End Of Amerikkkan Theatre: Black Theatre’S Healing Power To Eradicate Anti-Blackness, R'Myni Watson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the potential of Black Theatre as a catalyst for healing anti-Blackness within American theatre. Acknowledging the limitations of systemic change, this study advocates for incremental shifts within communities to combat ingrained racial biases through narrative change and theatrical exploration. Grounded in the theory of Black Theatre's energy force, Nommo, the study proposes the framework of Acknowledge, Dismantle, Re-Educate to address and eradicate anti-Blackness. Through directing the production of Blood at the Root, incorporating Black Theatre methodologies atop eurocentric foundations, this research documents the healing experienced by participants and audiences. Key findings reveal increased community engagement, support, awareness, …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

Black Women Educational Leaders In Pk-12 Public Education: A Multiple Case Study On The Double Consciousness Of Black Women Educational Leadership In Southwestern United States, Malena Baizan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examined the stories of Black Women Educational Leaders (BWEL) in PK-12t public education and their double consciousness as expressed through their leadership. The focus of this study was BWEL’s counternarratives as leaders within a system built upon systemic racism and oppression. Their experiences as Black Women Educational Leaders in PK-12 in a school district in which most school administrators are white, but most of the student body is Black and Brown were highlighted and centered to shed light on how the double consciousness of Black women informs their leadership. Utilizing Critical Race Feminism as the theoretical framework with …

A New Canon: Dismantling Racist Exclusion In Opera And Paving The Way For Inclusive Representation, Kourtney J. Holmes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document examines the exclusion of African American opera from the traditional Western operatic canon and standard performance practices within educational institutions and professional organizations. The narrow conception of opera as a European art form has obscured the contributions and cultural significance of works by pioneering African American composers. This study addresses this gap and elevates neglected histories by arguing for African American opera's artistic merit and contemporary relevance within the American operatic tradition.

Through musical and historical analysis of representative works from the late 19th/early 20th centuries onwards, I aim to illuminate the genre's unheard tales of struggle, identity, …

Voices From The Field: Black Women Who Have Successfully Transcended The Leadership Pipeline Into Superintendency, Brione A. Minor-Mitchell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Black women have a distinct journey within the realm of education, one that can only be fully comprehended and articulated by Black women themselves. However, even with their insights, not all readers will grasp the intense scrutiny Black women face when they strive for leadership roles, particularly in superintendency. This study aims to delve into the experiences of Black women who have risen to superintendency, examining the challenges they've encountered. It seeks to address four key questions through the lenses of Critical Race Feminism and Black Feminist Thought: What barriers do Black aspiring women leaders confront as they ascend to …

Dismantling The Stigma Of "Strong Black Girl" & "Strong Black Boy:" Cultural And Gender Differences In Trauma And Suicidality Among Black Adolescents, Tiffany Mosier-Hunter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Trauma exposure has been linked to a plethora of negative outcomes, including suicidality. Despite the abundance of research on the effects of trauma, little is known about its relationship with suicidality among adolescents. Moreover, even less research examines cultural and gender specific risk factors among Black adolescents. This study was founded on the cultural model of suicide, and the gendering of suicide theory, suggesting that suicidality in minority populations is influenced by cultural experiences (i.e., traumas) and perceptions of suicide, as well as gender differences that dictate where Black adolescents fall on the suicide spectrum. Using archival data (e.g., YRBSS) …

Radical Antiracism And Anti-Queerphobia In Politicised Education Environments Through Critical Race Theory And Queer Theory, Mina Aubrey Weeks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In 2023, the Utah legislature passed bills that alter how secondary education teachers can talk about “divisive topics,” usually referring to topics of race, LGBTQ, or other systemic topics like classism and nationalism. Many teachers committed to anti-racism and anti-queerphobia do not want to water down topics of race and LGBTQ, but they also do not want to lose their jobs for teaching race and LGBTQ in a way that the law restricts. Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory have typically been framed as anti-White, anti-cishet, or overall divisive by State critics due to their radical ideologies, but this comes …

"As Long As You're South Of The Canadian Border—You're South!": The Rise Of Black Power In North Omaha, Nebraska, William Odell Burney

Theses (2016-Present)

The objective of this master’s thesis is to configure a socio-historic narrative in such a way that it clearly illustrates how and why much of North Omaha’s Black American collective transitioned from a mundane migratory movement to that of the Black Panther Party. To wholly comprehend the essence and relevance of Black Power one must understand its lesser-known evolution in locales such as Omaha, Nebraska, in the Midwest. Hopefully, this research will enhance a pre-existing trove that other historians may pull from to consider similarities and juxtapositions of causal dynamics that underpinned Black Power in different regions of the United …

The Purepecha And Food Sovereignty, Andrea Abarca

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis will focus on the food sovereignty of the Purepecha of Michoacan. I will explore their culture and how their relationship with food shapes them. I will look into the effects of neoliberalism, and how it puts the food sovereignty of the Purepecha in danger. With this, I will compare the resistance to this issue with another indigenous community and see how these uprisings bring hope to restoring their sovereignty.

Reconstructing The Narrative Of Slavery In The United States: Acknowledging The Complex Exploitation Of Forced, Free, And Semi-Free Labor Beyond Race And Ethnicity And The Several Communities Who Endured Systemic Labor Exploitation And Injustice In The United States, Amma Terrece Sims

Theses (2016-Present)

This thesis explores the deconstruction and modernization of the narrative surrounding slavery in the United States by recognizing the multifaceted exploitation of labor beyond racial limitations. Through an assessment of representations and historical instances of forced, free, and semi-free labor in the United States, this study explores various forms of systemic subjugation and discrimination endured by diverse communities of immigrants. Specific consideration is given to examples such as indentured servitude of the colonial era and the experiences of “new immigrants” of the industrial period in challenging the established racial paradigm correlated with slavery. The experiences of specific European ethnic sub- …

Native American Choral Music: Strategies For Celebrating And Incorporating Music Of Indigenous People, Mary Ruth Young

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

*Language usage is fluid and evolving, representing past and present people groups. During my discussions with my Indigenous composer colleagues, I've found that they hold varying preferences regarding how they wish to be addressed and the terminology they prefer. Because of this, I use the terms Native, Native American, First Nations, Indigenous, American Indian, and First Peoples interchangeably.*

This document will discuss the historical exclusion of Native American music in the Western art forms, specifically the choral tradition, and provide solutions to incorporate it in modern choral performances. Considering first the wars, disease, displacement, colonization, and missionization, it is no …