Tag: American history

Examining America’s rhetoric of postracial progress.

July 24, 2015

Recent events in America including the #BlackLivesMatter movement areforcing white Americans to look at race in a way that’s uncomfortable—but also much more realistic.Image taken in November 2014 of a demonstration in New York City. Credit: Flickr. BY JULIA LEEAssistant professor of English at University of Nevada, Las Vegas According to a recent poll, nearly … More Examining America’s rhetoric of postracial progress.

Grace Lee Boggs on biracialism, social movements, and hope for America

July 8, 2015

Grace Lee Boggs, pictured here in 2012, was born on June 27, 1915, in Providence, Rhode Island. She currently lives in Detroit. On June 27, 2015, Grace Lee Boggs turned 100 years old. Boggs is a Chinese-American writer, philosopher, and social activist, and author of several books. Her autobiography, Living for Change, was published by University … More Grace Lee Boggs on biracialism, social movements, and hope for America

The effect of Civil Rights photobooks in transforming the social consciousness of young people

February 11, 2015

Children sit together on a tree limb in an uncredited Seventh-Day Adventist image. From Louis B. Reynolds and Charles L. Paddock, Little Journeys into Storyland: Stories That Will Live and Lift (Nashville: Southern Publishing Association, 1947). BY KATHARINE CAPSHAWAssociate professor of English at the University of Connecticut 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting … More The effect of Civil Rights photobooks in transforming the social consciousness of young people

"This is not, perhaps, the homily that most Americans will expect from me." —Walter Mondale

January 15, 2014

President Jimmy Carter with Walter Mondale before departing for Guadalupeon Jan. 4, 1979. Photo from the National Archives and Records Administration. The University of Minnesota Press has released in a new paperback edition The Good Fight: A Life in Liberal Politics, by former U.S. senator from Minnesota and former vice president of the United States, … More "This is not, perhaps, the homily that most Americans will expect from me." —Walter Mondale

9 unforgettable moments in the history of Northwest Airlines

December 11, 2013

Download the infographic timeline. BY JACK EL-HAI My book Non-Stop: A Turbulent History of Northwest Airlines covers NWA’s history from its first flights as an airmail carrier in 1926 to its final sad days before its acquisition by Delta Airlines in 2010. Along the way, the book tells countless stories — important and incidental, famous … More 9 unforgettable moments in the history of Northwest Airlines

Bonnie and Clyde: What does our collective fascination with crime say about us?

December 6, 2013

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, sometime between 1932 and 1934. BY KATHLEEN BATTLESAssistant professor of communication and journalism at Oakland University This weekend, Lifetime Television, A&E, and the History Channel will simultaneously air a two-part television “event” – a miniseries documenting the lives of infamous Depression-era American bandits, Bonnie and Clyde. Publicity for the series … More Bonnie and Clyde: What does our collective fascination with crime say about us?

"Mr. Barnum’s Camera Man": Mathew Brady among the cannibals.

November 20, 2013

“The Figi Cannibals.” Photograph by Mathew Brady, 1872. Courtesy of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. BY ROBIN BLYNAssociate professor of English at the University of West Florida Traditionally, Mathew Brady occupies an esteemed place in the history of photography and in the history of the United States. Otherwise known as “Mr. Lincoln’s Camera Man,” Brady stands nobly … More "Mr. Barnum’s Camera Man": Mathew Brady among the cannibals.

Could such tragedy happen today? Reflections on the 100-year anniversary of the epic Great Lakes storm of 1913.

November 7, 2013

Cleveland was perhaps the hardest-hit city by the deadly 1913 storm. Heavy winds tore up structures, blew out windows, and created five-foot drifts. Emergency vehicles struggled to get through drifting streets, hospitals coped with lost electricity, and the impassable streets made delivery of food and fuel almost impossible. Photo from the Library of Congress. BY … More Could such tragedy happen today? Reflections on the 100-year anniversary of the epic Great Lakes storm of 1913.

Harriman vs. Hill: Investing lessons for today

October 23, 2013

Read a larger version. BY LARRY HAEGFormer executive vice president of corporate communications for Wells Fargo & Company and author of Harriman vs. Hill: Wall Street’s Great Railroad War The central events of Harriman vs. Hill took place 112 years ago—long before the federal government regulated the trading of securities and before it prohibited insider … More Harriman vs. Hill: Investing lessons for today

What do Indians want? An excerpt from Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian.

September 18, 2013

An excerpt from The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King. ——- What remains distressing is that much of what passes for public and political discourse on the future of Native people is a discourse of anger, anger that Native people are still here and still a “problem” for White North America, anger that we have something … More What do Indians want? An excerpt from Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian.