Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Smith, H. (Sc 3200), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3200. “Illustrations of Modern Geography,” a set of seven hand-drawn and colorized maps of various parts of the globe, stitched into a chapbook with marbled paper covers. The title page indicates that the maps were drawn by H. Smith for his father Mr. Smith atWoodland House, midsummer 1834.

Maffenbeier, John, 1905-1978 (Sc 3199), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3199. Correspondence of John Maffenbeier, Newark, New Jersey, relating to collecting and selling Native American artifacts. Some of the correspondence is related to Lost City, an archaeological tourist site in Logan County, Kentucky.

Scrapbook: Jacksonville Sit-Ins, Freedom Riders, Ax Handle Saturday And Naacp Youth Council Meetings.

Textual material from the Rodney Lawrence Hurst, Sr. Papers

This compilation by Hurst includes articles related to sit-ins, Ax Handle Saturday, desegregating hiring policies, freedom riders and other events related to civil rights in Jacksonville, Florida. Circa 1957-1965

Recollections, Edna Louise Saffy

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Edna Saffy recollects her time campaigning for women's rights with the National Organization of Women and other civil rights ventures in the 1970's.

10 Ways To Make A Difference At Umaine, Sarah O'Malley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

One of the many amazing things about the college of our hearts always is its endless opportunities to make an impact, whether it be on this campus, in the state of Maine, for the United States or on a global scale. The best way to get involved is to collaborate with some of the amazing service, activist or political student clubs. With so many options, meetings and events it’s hard to know where to begin. Here are 10 organizations that are a great place to start.

Czech Immigrants In Nebraska: A Question Of Identity And Assimilation, Katharine Meegan

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the dynamics of cultural and social assimilation through the experiences of Czech immigrants into Nebraska. The Czechs' long struggle to maintain their ethnic identity has shaped their experiences with assimilation. After a review of assimilation theory, I conclude that the Czech experience with assimilation follows a “straight-line” assimilation model, a progression of assimilation that is complete by the third generation. Their relatively small size, settlement in rural areas, and a strong desire to maintain ethnic identity, as reflected in the formation of Czech language benevolent associations, gymnastic societies, and Czech language newspapers, led to “social” and “structural” …

The Duality Of Freedom: The Colony Of Rhode Island’S Slave Trade Complex, Thomas Shields

Honors Theses

In the eighteenth century British colonies there existed a duality of freedom, in which salutary neglect facilitated economic opportunism in the form of the slave trade. This paper examines how the colony of Rhode Island was a microcosm of this freedom duality in the merchant capitalist world. The colony became the epicenter of the slave trade in British North America, while also the home to a fervent abolition movement headed by the Quakers. This thesis contends that broad economic and individual freedoms in the colony created the environment where the slave trade prospered, the exact opposite of freedom.

After the …

Editorial: Challenging Diversity In Maine, Sarah Allisot

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Education is one of our best safeguards against ignorance. Without the crucial work of activist groups, representation would take a serious blow in our mostly-white state. Race demographics from the 2010 U.S. Census report that Maine is 94.8 percent white, with the remaining population split among several racial groups. The census also reports that black residents of Maine make up less than 1 percent of our population. Forbes reported on the 2016-2017 academic year demographics of the University of Maine, showing a modest 2 percent population of black students. Needless to say, Maine is mostly white, and very sheltered from …

Conaster, Victoria (Fa 377), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 377. Interview with Joe H. Page conducted by Victoria Conaster on 3 April 1993. Page, a resident of Lewisburg, discusses his childhood memories of growing up on a tenant farm. Topics covered include tobacco harvests and sales, pest control, traditional farm lore, home remedies and religious life.

Gillan, Robert Lee, 1916-2009 (Sc 3183), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3183. Letter, 7 August 2006, of Robert Lee Gillan, Thorntown, Indiana, to Martha Harrison. He refers to his interest in genealogy and relates anecdotes about “Aunt Nancy,” an African American woman and caregiver to local families in Barren County, Kentucky. He includes particulars of some of her household advice, folk medicinal treatments and beliefs. He notes that she is buried in Lyons (Lyon) Cemetery.

"The 'Problem' Of Blackness In The Revolutionary United States" At This Week's Socialist And Marxist Studies Series, Taylor Abbott

University of Maine Racial Justice Collection

University of Maine history professor Liam Riordan gave this week’s lecture as part of The Socialist and Marxist Studies Series, which has happened almost every week at UMaine since 1988. The series is also coached by Maine Peace Action Committee, which is mainly a student group through the Division of Student Affairs, and also receives support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Riordan teaches in the history department at UMaine with a specialization in American history and Revolutionary history from 1760-1830. Riordan’s lecture was titled, “The ‘Problem’ of Blackness in the Revolutionary United States.”

Editorial: The Privilege To Be Socially Active, Sarah Allisot

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

In January, the cosmetics company L'Oréal Paris signed on Amena Khan, a British blogger with over half a million followers on Instagram, for a hair product advertisement. This move made a big statement among not just the beauty community, but social activists too — Khan wears a hijab, and is credited as being the first woman to wear one in a major mainstream beauty ad. This decision by L'Oréal spoke to the global push for more representation in media, giving hope to other hijab-wearing women that their voices are relevant, important and beautiful. But the celebration was cut short. The …

Netflix Documentary "13th" Is A Must-See, Sarah O'Malley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

If you haven’t seen this documentary, clear your schedule. “13th,” a 2016 Netflix documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, breaks down racial justice issues surrounding mass incarceration, police brutality and race relations over the course of American history. The film has garnered critical success since its release; it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards, awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Primetime Emmy Awards,and clocks in at 96 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

"The 'Problem' Of Blackness In The Revolutionary United States" At This Week's Socialist And Marxist Studies Series, Taylor Abbott

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

University of Maine history professor Liam Riordan gave this week’s lecture as part of The Socialist and Marxist Studies Series, which has happened almost every week at UMaine since 1988. The series is also coached by Maine Peace Action Committee, which is mainly a student group through the Division of Student Affairs, and also receives support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Riordan teaches in the history department at UMaine with a specialization in American history and Revolutionary history from 1760-1830. Riordan’s lecture was titled, “The ‘Problem’ of Blackness in the Revolutionary United States.”

Brooks, Heather-Kristen (Fa 374), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 374. Student oral history project titled “The Effects of Logan County School Consolidations on the Students of Lewisburg and the Community” in which Heather-Kristen Brooks conducts research on the centralization of five county schools in 1983. Brooks’ two informants touch on issues of race, extracurricular activities, athletics, and behavioral norms. Collection contains one paper, two indexes and transcripts, and two cassette tapes.

Night Riders - Relating To (Sc 3179), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3179. Correspondence of Hal F. Bryant, Louisville, Kentucky, regarding a search for photographs in his possession of a Night Rider raid in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Includes a photocopy of one, an image of an officer posing in a captured Night Rider uniform, made from a glass plate negative held by the Department of Library Special Collections, WKU.

Black History Month Kicks Off At Umaine With The Black Lives Matter Flag Raising, Sarah O'Malley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

As snow fell upon the first day of February, many University of Maine students, faculty and community members congregated between the Memorial Union and Fogler Library in the name of racial justice. Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, marked the start of Black History Month, and the Office of Multicultural Student Life (OMSL) and the Black Student Union (BSU) have partnered to put together an impressive lineup of events spanning the entire month.

International Coffee Hour Helps Spreading Culture Across Campus, Bria Lamonica

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Carrying supplies, treats and decorations through the halls of the Memorial Union, members of the International Student Association (ISA), Office of International Programs and Black Student Union (BSU) gathered together to host their weekly Coffee Hour. Held every Friday at 4 p.m. in the North Pod of the Union, International Coffee Hour is a sponsored event meant to share and spread diverse cultures represented on campus. The hour of celebration also gives students and staff a chance to connect with students from different countries and backgrounds. “This event was in celebration of Black History Month, and it went better than …

Civil Liberties And The Dual Legacy Of The Founding, John W. Compton

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"This chapter will argue that the framers’ dual legacy in the area of civil liberties has cast a long historical shadow. Since the early republic, Americans have invoked constitutional civil liberties provisions to challenge customary forms of authority. Yet establishing the abstract legitimacy of one's claim – that it comports with a particular conception of religious liberty or the freedom of speech, for example – has typically been insufficient to prevail in the courts."

Race, Sexuality, And Masculinity On The Down Low, Stephen Kochenash

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In a so-called post-racial America, a new gay identity has flourished and come into the limelight. However, in recent years, researchers have concluded that not all men who have sex with other men (MSM) self-identify as gay, most noticeably a large population of Black men. It is possible that a tainted history of Black enslavement in this country that is inextricably linked with ideas of space, surveillance, subversion, and survival inform a Black male’s self-identification as being “on the down low” (DL). This begs the question: What does mainstream society view as gay-ness and how is the DL constructed …

The Bronx Was Brewing: A Digital Resource Of A Lost Industry, Michelle Zimmer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Bronx: a bucolic oasis laden with history, a suburb within city-limits, an urban warzone, and thanks to the recent renaissance, a phoenix of progress rising from the proverbial ashes of the fires that burned through the borough in the 1970’s. But many people are unaware that the Bronx also brewed.
Uncovering the brewing industry of the Bronx tells not only the story of the lost industry, but it also communicates the narrative of the development of the Bronx. The brewers were German immigrants who developed a thriving industry by introducing lager beer to the United States by taking advantage …

Racism In Our Backyard, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Maine can be quiet. Humble. Secluded. Lost in the upper northern woods of New England, the large state can feel separated from the rest of the nation. Problems and politics are diluted by the rocky shores of Acadia, the dense enclosures of forests and the strong sense of community. This is “Vacationland” after all. So when a small, rural Maine community is thrust under the bright light of the national media spotlight, it tends to burn. Jackman, Maine is one of those small communities. Recently featured on media outlets including The Washington Post, CNN and USA Today, the story of …

It’S Like Déjà Vu All Over Again: Seismic Changes In The American Experiment, David King

Bridge/Work

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” “Is this the end of the country?”

In 2016, it seemed that both of those statements, or something similar, was on the tongues of nearly every American. No matter who you supported, there seemed to be something entirely new about the election cycle that the nation found itself in. There is no doubt that for this generation, the 2016 election is a watershed moment for the United States. For the U.S., however, watershed moments in democracy are not the exception but the rule. To fully understand how our democracy transitions, one must return to …

Writing To Save A Life: The Louis Till File, Chris Laico

The Primary Source

No abstract provided.

Interview With Phil Thornburg, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Phil Thornburg talks about registering for the draft during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector and how his decision was influenced by his childhood in Burundi.

Sacred Heart University Celebrates Mlk, Encourages Students To ‘Stay Woke’

Karreem Mebane

2018 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation, Otterbein University

MLK Convocations

Otterbein University honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each year at an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation which features a keynote speaker. This year's speaker was Samuel Gresham, Jr. and also included several speeches & performances by Otterbein Students.

My Grandfather Was An Illegal Immigrant: Guest Opinion, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In this opinion piece originally published in the Oregonian, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner reflects on his grandfather's immigration status in light of the Trump administration's decision to end temporary protection for 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants who came to the United States without documentation.

Pulse - A Consultation, Barry J. Mauer

Barry Mauer

On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 53 at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. We may never know or understand what was in Mateen’s mind, but we can situate his attack within the history of eliminationism in America. Islamist terrorism is just part of a larger phenomenon: right wing eliminationism. But despite centuries of right wing eliminationist words and deeds in the U.S., there is little or no mainstream recognition of the phenomenon. Instead, we are treated to more denial, more distraction, more obfuscation. Until we look this problem squarely in the face, it will …

Is Trump The De-Regulator-In-Chief?, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

Abe Lincoln was a regulation cutter. Who would’ve known that?”

That line in a speech on December 8 by President Trump sent a number of pundits flocking to their history textbooks for fact-checking, especially after he followed it with the claim that, based on the numbers, he had actually exceeded Lincoln’s first-year total. “That’s pretty good for 10 months.”

What the pundits found was largely what they looked for. Blue State Daily’s Matthew Slivan smirked that “Trump likes to conjure comparisons to Abraham Lincoln,” but “the truth is what you’d expect: Trump is a blowhard.” Another reporter rang up …