Legacies of Colonialization, Imperialism, and Resistance
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Start Date
8-5-2021 4:10 PM
End Date
8-5-2021 4:55 PM
Description
Legacies of Colonialization, Imperialism, and Resistance (speakers in order of appearance)
Aysia Brenner '21 “‘And can I then but pray/Others may never feel tyrannic sway?’: Patriotism and National Identity in the Writing of Phillis Wheatley” (Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Nuñez)
This project analyzes the poetry and letters of Phillis Wheatley to understand how she claimed an American national identity and advocated for American independence when society around her was fundamentally built on white supremacy and the enslavement of black individuals. By harnessing the patriotic rhetoric of freedom and metaphorical slavery touted by white Americans and paying particular attention to the emotional and religious facets of this rhetoric, Wheatley not only incorporated African-Americans into the body of the emerging American nation but also made powerful arguments for the abolition of slavery. In writing and publishing her poetry, Wheatley served as a powerful counterargument to the idea that patriotism was the sole provenance of white men, reclaimed the humanity denied to her and other African-Americans, and forcibly brought the contradictions and tyranny of slavery to the attention of a white public who would have preferred to keep them buried under their own purely rhetorical use of slavery.
Sophia Khan '22 “Shakespeare: Colonial Tool or Method of Expression?: The Colonization and Decolonization of Shakespeare” (Faculty Sponsor: Lauren Brooke Ellis)
Does Shakespeare in South Asian societies exist as a colonial tool or a method of expression? This presentation will discuss bringing in Western literature as a means to entertain British expatriates and colonize the minds of South Asians in effort to westernize them. There is emphasis on how exactly this was achieved by the British using different methods including making English the official language of instruction in India, forcefully inserting Shakespearean texts into curriculums, and associating the study of Shakespeare with upward social mobility. The adaptability and malleability of Shakespeare's works also led to the creation of plays that fused more traditional South Asian narratives with Shakespearean concepts to appeal more to the Indian audiences. Through research obtained from several academic papers and the findings of South Asian Shakespeare scholars, the relatability of Shakespeare's work is addressed and how Shakespeare can be viewed as a reclaimed medium to further South Asian issues and concerns.
Savannah Scott '22 “The Practice of Clitoridectomies: Its Influence on the Gikuyu Tribe, Kenyan National Identity, Cultural Nationalism, and British Powers" (Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Nuñez)
Within the Western world, the practice of clitoridectomies is infamous for its associations with infertility, hemorrhaging, and irreversible complications that affect the fertility and life of mothers and young women. In contrast, select tribes in the Eastern hemisphere uphold the practice with historical and cultural significance promoting its continuation in modern day; amongst these select tribes is the Gikuyu tribe in Kenya, Africa. The Gikuyu tribe, commonly known as the Kikuyu, has a long cultural history with clitoridectomies as the practice originated in ancestral tribal groups and is performed annually in a rite of passage ceremony called irua. Jomo Kenyatta, a Kenyan nationalist leader who fought for independence and sovereignty from European powers, was raised in the Gikuyu tribe and supported the practice of clitoridectomies. Through the eyes of the indigenous people, the presenter examines Gikuyu tribal history and culture, the influence of nationalist leader Jomo Kenyatta, and the adverse effects of European colonialism and imperialism to discover why the continuation of clitoridectomies occurred and why the practice was deemed essential to the preservation of Kenyan national identity, tribal history and culture.
Legacies of Colonialization, Imperialism, and Resistance
https://hollins.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v7jaLAI8QY-bln9eY0jsIA
Legacies of Colonialization, Imperialism, and Resistance (speakers in order of appearance)
Aysia Brenner '21 “‘And can I then but pray/Others may never feel tyrannic sway?’: Patriotism and National Identity in the Writing of Phillis Wheatley” (Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Nuñez)
This project analyzes the poetry and letters of Phillis Wheatley to understand how she claimed an American national identity and advocated for American independence when society around her was fundamentally built on white supremacy and the enslavement of black individuals. By harnessing the patriotic rhetoric of freedom and metaphorical slavery touted by white Americans and paying particular attention to the emotional and religious facets of this rhetoric, Wheatley not only incorporated African-Americans into the body of the emerging American nation but also made powerful arguments for the abolition of slavery. In writing and publishing her poetry, Wheatley served as a powerful counterargument to the idea that patriotism was the sole provenance of white men, reclaimed the humanity denied to her and other African-Americans, and forcibly brought the contradictions and tyranny of slavery to the attention of a white public who would have preferred to keep them buried under their own purely rhetorical use of slavery.
Sophia Khan '22 “Shakespeare: Colonial Tool or Method of Expression?: The Colonization and Decolonization of Shakespeare” (Faculty Sponsor: Lauren Brooke Ellis)
Does Shakespeare in South Asian societies exist as a colonial tool or a method of expression? This presentation will discuss bringing in Western literature as a means to entertain British expatriates and colonize the minds of South Asians in effort to westernize them. There is emphasis on how exactly this was achieved by the British using different methods including making English the official language of instruction in India, forcefully inserting Shakespearean texts into curriculums, and associating the study of Shakespeare with upward social mobility. The adaptability and malleability of Shakespeare's works also led to the creation of plays that fused more traditional South Asian narratives with Shakespearean concepts to appeal more to the Indian audiences. Through research obtained from several academic papers and the findings of South Asian Shakespeare scholars, the relatability of Shakespeare's work is addressed and how Shakespeare can be viewed as a reclaimed medium to further South Asian issues and concerns.
Savannah Scott '22 “The Practice of Clitoridectomies: Its Influence on the Gikuyu Tribe, Kenyan National Identity, Cultural Nationalism, and British Powers" (Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Nuñez)
Within the Western world, the practice of clitoridectomies is infamous for its associations with infertility, hemorrhaging, and irreversible complications that affect the fertility and life of mothers and young women. In contrast, select tribes in the Eastern hemisphere uphold the practice with historical and cultural significance promoting its continuation in modern day; amongst these select tribes is the Gikuyu tribe in Kenya, Africa. The Gikuyu tribe, commonly known as the Kikuyu, has a long cultural history with clitoridectomies as the practice originated in ancestral tribal groups and is performed annually in a rite of passage ceremony called irua. Jomo Kenyatta, a Kenyan nationalist leader who fought for independence and sovereignty from European powers, was raised in the Gikuyu tribe and supported the practice of clitoridectomies. Through the eyes of the indigenous people, the presenter examines Gikuyu tribal history and culture, the influence of nationalist leader Jomo Kenyatta, and the adverse effects of European colonialism and imperialism to discover why the continuation of clitoridectomies occurred and why the practice was deemed essential to the preservation of Kenyan national identity, tribal history and culture.