I want to preface this post by saying that it is so important to continue to listen to Native American voices—whether it be through podcasts, books, or meeting them in person—because they have been silenced for centuries. We need to continue to remind ourselves and others that Native Americans are not figures of the pastContinue reading “Foregone”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
What Two-Spirit Means To Native Americans
The term Two-Spirit has an inherent binary of male/female. And although these gender binaries can do harm, as they are more or less a generalization of a large group of individuals, for some Native Americans, that term is empowering. In the video linked in this blog post, we can see how empowering the term Two-SpiritContinue reading “What Two-Spirit Means To Native Americans”
Fill Our Pail
Erasing Native American culture is one of the most dangerous things a person can do. By wiping away the triumphs, defeats, and dreams of Native Americans, one belittles and degrades them. Although progress is being made in the 21st century, US history is still taught through the eyes of the oppressor. Many US history textbooksContinue reading “Fill Our Pail”
The Door of No Return: Fanteland’s History and British Exploitation in the Transatlantic Slave Trade
By Hannah Sweet Esi’s journey through the door of no return in Yaa Gysai’s Homegoing is a single vignette of the experience of millions of Africans. From the 16th to 19th century millions of Africans were herded onto ships for the New World, never to see their families or homeland again. It is estimated thatContinue reading “The Door of No Return: Fanteland’s History and British Exploitation in the Transatlantic Slave Trade”
The Destruction of Fire: A Symbol of Slavery
The motif of fire is very prominent in the first few chapters of Yaa Gyasi’s novel Homegoing. Fire is a destructive force that brings pain with its rapid and aggressive spread. It leaves behind nothing but dust and ash and shows no mercy to anyone. Although there are literal mentions of fire –like the oneContinue reading “The Destruction of Fire: A Symbol of Slavery”
The Power of Art: Oneness in Trauma
By Taggert Smith Heather Raffo’s 9 Parts of Desire is a brilliant one-woman play, in which Raffo portrays nine different Iraqi women she’s interviewed in an interwoven series of scenes. While initially seeming an odd choice, it is through this form that the play develops one of its core themes–the ability of the artist toContinue reading “The Power of Art: Oneness in Trauma”
Nostalgic Bookworm
Why do we love to read books so much? After all, the plots often surround completely fictional characters, yet we easily become emotionally invested and attached to their outcomes, feeling a wide-range of emotions throughout their journeys. Why is this the case? One of the most prominent explanations for our love and—in many ways—obsession withContinue reading “Nostalgic Bookworm”
Evil Stepmothers: Not Just in Disney Movies
Motherhood and fatherhood are two very complex, yet personal roles people have with their children. However, the stereotypes that often plague these roles may seem to differ on the surface in other cultures. In America, motherhood and fatherhood are seen as two very separate roles. The role of the father is to be the breadwinnerContinue reading “Evil Stepmothers: Not Just in Disney Movies”
Intersectionality In Giovanni’s Room
By Hannah Sweet While James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room is a story that follows a white queer man, race is a dominant force that is as central to Baldwin’s narrative as sexuality. In Giovanni’s Room homosexuality becomes connected to blackness in a way that heterosexuality is connected to whiteness. Both are identities that lay outside ofContinue reading “Intersectionality In Giovanni’s Room”
Illuminating the Unseen: Bringing Awareness to War-Rape and Survivors
By: Georgia Pettygrove In Ruined‘s introduction, Kate Whoriskey describes how “[theater] has an incredible capacity for illuminating the unseen, reshaping history, bringing out empathy and providing social commentary.” As the Second Congo Civil War continued in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lynn Nottage traveled to East Africa to write Ruined and, in the process,Continue reading “Illuminating the Unseen: Bringing Awareness to War-Rape and Survivors”
Constructions of Gender in Literature 