John Lodl, Rutherford County Archivist, and Bill Shacklett, Murfreesboro photographer, teamed up to write a book entitled Murfreesboro: Then and Now using Shacklett's historic photographs, juxtaposed with photographs taken recently from the same angle, a la historypin. John wrote captions for each. As you may know, I spent the summer of 2010 working practically full time at the Rutherford County Archives on the Shacklett's Photograph Collection, so I can't help but feel excited and proud at this wonderful use of the Collection's photographs. You can bet that when it goes on sale February 27th, I'll be excited to pick it up! According to the article, proceeds from book sales are going to a local literacy charity. Congratulations, John and the Rutherford County Archives family!
Read more over at the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. Read more about my involvement with the Rutherford County Archives here.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/martin-luther-king-jr-quotation-to-be-replaced-on-memorial/2012/02/10/gIQASLfc4Q_story.html
Historians know that memorials can take on a life of their own. Those who have lost a loved one know that memory can be distorted after the fact - deceased loved ones take on a grandeur as memory becomes hazy and good times are more often remembered than bad in the face of terrible loss. National commemoration can be similar. Often, the memory surrounding figures of national importance becomes larger than life after their death, both literally and figuratively. This can result in mythology and inaccuracy, sometimes inadvertently and sometimes as a result of political manipulation.
Critics of the popular historical memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. already accuse the mainstream establishment of whitewashing King's legacy, ignoring the militancy of his later years and his sharp critique of the political machine, especially in regards to the Vietnam War. Many important Black intellectuals, including Dr. Cornel West and others, have spoken of this trend. While I was still at CBU, I attended a lecture by Angela Davis, former Black Panther and social justice advocate. As she broached this issue, she encountered vast approval from the audience of academics, community members, and students. This is not a fringe belief. That same year, the Memphis College of Art hosted an exhibition of art inspired by the more radical, less depicted beliefs of King.
Therefore, the controversy surrounding the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial is a crucial one. It's important to examine the popular memory of King and to search for inaccuracies in the way he is depicted. How can we present a full picture of the life and legacy of such an important figure in 20th century American history? How can we do justice to the man, to the movement, and to the people who were inspired by him? We can start by ensuring that his comments are put in their proper context, especially on his public memorial.
The controversy surrounds the sentence, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness," a paraphrase of a larger sentiment from "The Drum Major Instinct," Dr. King's final sermon. As a former writing tutor and teaching assistant, I know well the slippery slope associated with paraphrasing and with taking a quote out of its context. As it turns out, the speech promotes the opposite of what this quote suggests. King spends the speech arguing against what he calls the drum major instinct, the tendency towards showboating and co-opting a movement. This is especially important because this is a charge sometimes leveled against Dr. King - that his larger-than-life figure actually was so prominent in the Civil Rights Movement that, after his death, it was perhaps inevitable that his memory become co-opted, that his legacy would become skewed, and that the movement would lose momentum.
Shouldn't his monument include a more inspiring quote? A quote that the man might say himself? One that reminds every person who visits to become a better person, to work towards the goal Dr. King envisioned? Because that goal is still not achieved. King's dream has not come fully to fruition. Perhaps it never will. Perhaps the true grace is in the struggle, the never-ending march towards justice and equality for all. King's monument should inspire that struggle in those who view it, not a sense of complacency in a job well done or a sense of awe for a man who, if his last speech is to be taken at face value, never wanted such regard for himself to be his true legacy.
Read the original speech, in its entirety, here.
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| The Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial towers over those who visit, giving the impression of a larger-than-life man of mythic proportions, a standard trope in national figure memorialization. |
Historians know that memorials can take on a life of their own. Those who have lost a loved one know that memory can be distorted after the fact - deceased loved ones take on a grandeur as memory becomes hazy and good times are more often remembered than bad in the face of terrible loss. National commemoration can be similar. Often, the memory surrounding figures of national importance becomes larger than life after their death, both literally and figuratively. This can result in mythology and inaccuracy, sometimes inadvertently and sometimes as a result of political manipulation.
Critics of the popular historical memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. already accuse the mainstream establishment of whitewashing King's legacy, ignoring the militancy of his later years and his sharp critique of the political machine, especially in regards to the Vietnam War. Many important Black intellectuals, including Dr. Cornel West and others, have spoken of this trend. While I was still at CBU, I attended a lecture by Angela Davis, former Black Panther and social justice advocate. As she broached this issue, she encountered vast approval from the audience of academics, community members, and students. This is not a fringe belief. That same year, the Memphis College of Art hosted an exhibition of art inspired by the more radical, less depicted beliefs of King.
Therefore, the controversy surrounding the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial is a crucial one. It's important to examine the popular memory of King and to search for inaccuracies in the way he is depicted. How can we present a full picture of the life and legacy of such an important figure in 20th century American history? How can we do justice to the man, to the movement, and to the people who were inspired by him? We can start by ensuring that his comments are put in their proper context, especially on his public memorial.
The controversy surrounds the sentence, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness," a paraphrase of a larger sentiment from "The Drum Major Instinct," Dr. King's final sermon. As a former writing tutor and teaching assistant, I know well the slippery slope associated with paraphrasing and with taking a quote out of its context. As it turns out, the speech promotes the opposite of what this quote suggests. King spends the speech arguing against what he calls the drum major instinct, the tendency towards showboating and co-opting a movement. This is especially important because this is a charge sometimes leveled against Dr. King - that his larger-than-life figure actually was so prominent in the Civil Rights Movement that, after his death, it was perhaps inevitable that his memory become co-opted, that his legacy would become skewed, and that the movement would lose momentum.
Shouldn't his monument include a more inspiring quote? A quote that the man might say himself? One that reminds every person who visits to become a better person, to work towards the goal Dr. King envisioned? Because that goal is still not achieved. King's dream has not come fully to fruition. Perhaps it never will. Perhaps the true grace is in the struggle, the never-ending march towards justice and equality for all. King's monument should inspire that struggle in those who view it, not a sense of complacency in a job well done or a sense of awe for a man who, if his last speech is to be taken at face value, never wanted such regard for himself to be his true legacy.
Read the original speech, in its entirety, here.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
“I think keeping the community memory alive is the purpose of the archive... That is part of the tradition of archives and libraries, open access to information. Community archives document traditions that otherwise fade away when families don’t keep them.” - Joe Penza, archivist of the City of Elizabethton
I met Joe at the 2010 Society of Tennessee Archivists meeting, where we served on a panel together. Through his own hard work and a previous job, he has been given the amazing opportunity to start the Archives of the city of Elizabethton from the ground up. Joe had been planning on attending MTSU to start work on his PhD but has now put it off for this exciting opportunity. Congratulations, Joe, and good luck on your new endeavor!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Portfolio
I'm working on adding work products to this blog in order to keep an online portfolio. Check back soon for more examples of my work!
Paranormal Romance Ghostwriting
In my job search, I'm discovering that there aren't many opportunities on Craigslist for someone with my specific educational and work background.
My primary background selling points as I see them are: 1) educational and 2) nonprofit.
My educational selling points include: being a Writing Center assistant for three and a half years, a graduate assistant for three courses (managing around 70 students each time), and a research assistant for a semester.
My nonprofit selling points include: office administration (assistant to the administrative assistant for four years, plus three years, off and on, working in a for-profit office setting), my several internships in archives, and the year and a half that I worked as a digital projects assistant in a library.
I try to keep this past experience in my mind as I search for a job here in Memphis. Thumbing through Craigslist, I always open admin/office, education, government, nonprofit sector, writing/editing, and part-time in separate tabs, looking through the first few pages of results.
The three jobs I find that suit my skills are: 1) Collections Representative, 2) Paranormal Romance Ghostwriter, and 3) MCS tutor.
Sometimes I wish I had chosen a life of managerial retail, human resources, or nursing. These seem to be the best options right now!
My primary background selling points as I see them are: 1) educational and 2) nonprofit.
My educational selling points include: being a Writing Center assistant for three and a half years, a graduate assistant for three courses (managing around 70 students each time), and a research assistant for a semester.
My nonprofit selling points include: office administration (assistant to the administrative assistant for four years, plus three years, off and on, working in a for-profit office setting), my several internships in archives, and the year and a half that I worked as a digital projects assistant in a library.
I try to keep this past experience in my mind as I search for a job here in Memphis. Thumbing through Craigslist, I always open admin/office, education, government, nonprofit sector, writing/editing, and part-time in separate tabs, looking through the first few pages of results.
The three jobs I find that suit my skills are: 1) Collections Representative, 2) Paranormal Romance Ghostwriter, and 3) MCS tutor.
Sometimes I wish I had chosen a life of managerial retail, human resources, or nursing. These seem to be the best options right now!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Conference Days One and Two
Four of us - three colleagues and one colleague's husband - carpooled yesterday to the NCPH conference in Pensacola, Florida. Upon arrival, we discovered that we were literally ten seconds too late for registration (after getting to the Opening Reception first and mistaking it for registration)! The conference is being held at both the main conference hotel, the Crowne Plaza, and at the historic Pensacola village. Our opening reception took place in the garden of a beautiful historic home overlooking the lovely Pensacola bay. Unfortunately, since we didn't have our registration materials, we missed out on our complimentary drink! Posh food was provided by local Portobello cafe.
After the reception, we got settled into our hotel room at the wonderful Crowne Plaza hotel, then headed out for dinner and drinks at the Atlas Oyster House. I had shrimp and grits, corn fritters, half a piece of chocolate cheesecake, and several delicious souvenir drinks!
This morning we woke up bright and early to find our registration and to attend a colleague's session on blues tourism, cemetery preservation, and contested sites. We ate lunch at Nacho Daddies, a sister restaurant to Portobello. After lunch, I attended a wonderful session at the hotel on the interplay between public historian and constituent communities. One of the presenters is currently writing an article on a project similar to one I've been considering, so I got some great insight and had an exciting thesis breakthrough. After taking the conference shuttle back out to the historic village, I spent an hour and a half representing MTSU in the exhibitors' hall, then met Katie Stringer and walked over to the Happy Pig for barbecue. It was definitely not Memphis-style, but still delicious.
After eating, we all walked back to the hotel (hello, blisters!) for the Civil War Sesquicentennial Plenary Session headed by MTSU's own Dr. Carroll Van West from the Center for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. Panelists from a variety of institutions, including the National Parks Service, discussed the contentious issues with Civil War commemoration, including contested causes, negotiating a shared past across cultural boundaries, and battlefield preservation.
Finally, MTSU students, alumni, faculty and one future student met in the hotel bar for drinks and socializing. After a full day, I'm ready for some sleep!
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| NCPH 2011 Opening Reception |
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| View of the Pensacola Bay from the opening reception |
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| MTSU graduate and Ole Miss PhD student DeWayne Moore, MTSU MA student Katie Rosta, MTSU MA Candidate and Ohio State Civil War Sesquicentennial planner Amy Rohmiller |
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| PhD student Zada Law and Dr. Tara White at the MTSU informational table |
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| Civil War Sesquicentennial Panel |
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| MTSU students, alumni and faculty (current and former) at Thursday night's mixer. Missing is Dr. Martha Norkunas. |
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