Tag: Black History
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‘Do What You Want, Just Know What You’re Doing’: The Life of Jackie Shane
Born in Nashville, Jackie Shane came to be a prominent figure in the Toronto soul music scene. However, as a Black, transgender woman in the 1960s, she was forced to overcome racism and homophobia – something which fed into her dynamic performances. Megan Crutchley discusses Shane’s powerful legacy.
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Review: Freedom Seekers: Escaping from Slavery in Restoration London, Simon Newman (2022)
Written by Boryana Ivanova. Simon Newman’s 2022 text examines racial slavery in Early Modern London by reconstructing the lives of individuals who fled from their enslavement and sheds light on the freedom-seeking Black community of England.
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The Depiction of a Black Magus: An Early Attempt at Representation?
Written by Sophia Aiello. Representations of the three ‘wisemen’ or Magi from the story of the birth of Jesus have been varied and changeable over the history of Christianity. But how do these depictions offer a more diverse look at the world of the Bible? And what does this representation mean for modern re-enactments?
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‘Black Terror’: Black Masculinity and Identity Formation in Eighteenth-Century England
Written by Boryana Ivanova. Through employing a ‘history from below’ approach, Boryana Ivanova examines the notions of Black British identity and masculinity in Early Modern History, highlighting the historiographical shortcomings that have plagued the discipline.
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Was the ‘Great Dissenter’ actually great? Segregation and Justice in Harlan’s Dissent.
Written by Amy Hendrie. Who was the supposed ‘Great Dissenter’? Amy Hendrie challenges the traditional accounts of the the United States Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan as the colour-blind stalwart against legalised segregation, revealing that it is far from simple.
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Review: Green Book (2018)
Written by Sophia Aiello. Directed by Peter Farrelly, ‘Green Book’ (2018) was both a success at the box office and the Academy Awards. However, it received a great deal of backlash for its whitewashed portrayal of racism in 1960s America.
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Dido Elizabeth Belle, and the mysteries behind the painting at Scone Palace
Written by Sophie Whitehead. The portrait of Lady Elizabeth and Dido Belle has fascinated historians and allowed us a glimpse into Black History in the eighteenth century. But who was she? And how has she been understood by historians and art critics since the painting’s production?
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Cinema in the Age of Obama
Written by Jess Womack. Trends within film largely mirror trends within society, mirroring political and social feeling. This can especially be seen within the ‘Obama-era’ and beyond, where historical fiction exploring the racial past of the US became popular.
Retrospect Journal 