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The sculpture “I Am Queen Mary” (2018) garnered international attention after its unveiling on a busy (i.e. touristy) harbor spot in Copenhagen, Denmark. The then-temporary memorial created by LaVaughn Belle and Jeannette Ehlers “celebrates and centers the story of people who resisted Danish colonialism in the Caribbean,” in particular post-abolition labor leader Mary Thomas. In a similar vein, C.L.R. James’ three-act play Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History (1934) commemorates the slave uprising led by Louverture that results in the establishment of Haiti after winning independence from France. “The play's production […] marked the first time black professional actors starred on the British stage in a play written by a black playwright” (Duke UP), what’s more, it is a play about a historically significant display of black resistance.
In this course we will explore these and other examples of subverted histories of resistance in the Americas (ca. 1789-1900) in connection with broader notions of borders, expansionism and new frontiers. Moving away from a geopolitical approach to these concepts, this course sets out to discover how they are enacted and experienced by gendered and racialized, real and fictionalized individuals. Further, together we will attempt to determine how different media contribute to cementing the contemporary legacies of these important historical figures of resistance. Students participating in this seminar will gain an understanding of postcolonial literary criticism and postcolonial media studies.
Materials for the course will be provided by the instructor. |
