COVID-19 has laid bare the social inequalities of our age: Counties with higher rates of poverty and housing density also have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Risk of death of COVID-19 is three times higher among Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans than for white Americans. And millions of Americans have lost access to jobs, income and healthcare in the crashing economy. Perhaps it is fitting, then, that this is the environment in which we are launching the new minor in Inequality Studies at Duke… read more about Why studying inequality matters »
The centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and an election year in which more women than ever were running for political office made this fall an ideal time to study “Women in the Political Process” at Duke. But when undergraduates signed up for the Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies course, they didn’t know they would be getting a lesson in documentary filmmaking, too. “As I was putting the finishing touches on the syllabus, Center for Documentary Studies Director Wesley Hogan reached… read more about GSF Projects Showcase Undergraduate Research Through Documentary Filmmaking »
Samuel Daly, an assistant professor of African & African American Studies, International Comparative Studies and History, used his expertise on the history of policing in Nigeria to provide an analysis of the recent protests against the country's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). read more about Nigerians Got Their Abusive SARS Police Force Abolished – But Elation Soon Turned to Frustration »
Jessica Hauger recently published a short article in Nursing Clio, an open access, peer reviewed blog project focusing on gender and medicine. Drawn from Hauger’s dissertation research, the piece explores the complicated work and legacy of Laura Pedrick, an Indigenous woman whose nursing labor became part of her lifelong work to protect Kiowa peoplehood in an era of intense colonial intrusion. The piece is part of the site’s Beyond Florence series, which seeks to expand public scholarship… read more about Jessica Hauger writes on Kiowa healer Laura Pedrick for "Nursing Clio" »
William A. Darity (Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Economics and African and African American Studies), Malachi Hacohen (Professor of History) and Adam Hollowell (Adjunct Instructor of Education) co-wrote an article for Inside Higher Ed about Duke's new inequality studies minor, arguing that students, professors and administrators need a deeper understanding of how human disparities have developed, why they persist and how they evolve over time. read more about The Importance of Inequality Studies »
A chemistry and computer science major seeking to further explore solutions to climate change. A first-generation college student who studies the connection between race, history and educational policy. An African and African American Studies major who translated her research into service helping others in Durham overcome racial barriers to housing and education. These are the recipients of this year’s Faculty Scholars Awards, the highest bestowed by Duke faculty on undergraduates and honors students for a record of… read more about Three Undergraduates Named Faculty Scholars for Outstanding Records of Research »
DURHAM, N.C. – Two Duke University seniors were among 32 recipients selected this weekend for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships. Kendall Jefferys, from Keller, Texas, and Jamal Burns, from Saint Louis, Missouri, were chosen from among 953 applicants at colleges and universities throughout the country. The scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. Recipients are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership… read more about Two Duke Seniors Awarded Rhodes Scholarship »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University senior Amelia Steinbach of Durham, North Carolina, is one of 12 Americans selected this weekend to receive the George J. Mitchell Scholarship for a year of graduate study in Ireland. This year, 453 students applied for the scholarship, named in honor of Sen. George Mitchell’s contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process. Recipients are chosen on the basis of academic distinction, leadership and service. Steinbach, a political science major with minors in Gender, Sexuality &… read more about Duke Senior Awarded George J. Mitchell Scholarship to Study in Ireland »
NetIndian profiles a new book by Sumathi Ramaswamy, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of History and International Comparative Studies, in which the historian examines art that depicts Mahatma Ghandi. Read the article at NetIndian. read more about Gandhi in the Gallery: The Art Of Disobedience »
The pandemic, wildfires in the west, a hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, an avalanche of misinformation and the most contentious presidential race in recent memory are combining to create an unprecedented election season. Record numbers of Americans are voting early, many of whom are spending hours in line to do so. What does all this mean? Three Duke faculty members and the leader of a nonpartisan group at Duke dedicated to getting students to the polls took questions from journalists Wednesday during a digital… read more about Pandemic, Voter Suppression, Record Early Voting – Experts Discuss 2020 Election »
Voter intimidation can be as subtle as staring at someone because they come from a specific ethnic group or questioning their citizenship status to pretending to be an official poll worker, attempting to block someone’s entrance into the polling place and — in this time of COVID — crowding others without wearing a protective mask. It can also emerge long before election day, in policies that marginalize specific groups of voters. “Having to drive long distances to vote past a gauntlet of hostile signs, such as giant… read more about Voter Intimidation Is Real. Here's What You Can Do About It »
History Professor John Jeffries Martin remarked that French philosopher Michel de Montaigne would have been pleased with the small group discussion session held Oct. 12 – and particularly by the global representation of the Duke students participating. “(Montaigne was) one of the first thinkers in Western Europe to theorize the global,” Martin said, noting that though his focus is on Italian history, he frequently returns to Montaigne because his works “grow with you.” Joining remotely from Ankara in Turkey, Toronto and… read more about Martin leads lively discussion of Montaigne in new series for undergrads »
The 2020 election stands out for many reasons, including voter confusion. For reliable information about the voting process this election season, Deondra Rose, assistant professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy and research director of POLIS, turns to a range of sources: WEBSITES • Our own vote.duke.edu website offers a wealth of information. From the homepage, students, staff and faculty can find the information they need to register to vote, request an absentee ballot and even sign up to receive… read more about Who Are Your Trusted Sources for Information on Voting? »
A virtual exhibit and event bring student scholarship to new audiences When Mellon Visiting Professor Silvio Luiz de Almeida arrived at Duke this spring, he partnered with History Professor John French to offer students a timely, global look at the parallel struggles for racial justice in Brazil and the United States – two countries in the Western Hemisphere with the largest Afro-descended populations. Almeida and French planned an innovative final project for their course: student contributions to an exhibit about a… read more about Black Lives Matter Brazil-USA »
Jacqueline's dissertation explores the intersections of motherhood, (re)production, and citizenship in nineteenth-century Martinique. The Fulbright-Hays DDRA fellowship will allow her to spend 6 months in France consulting several major archives such as Nationales d’Outre-Mer, located in Aix-en-Provence, the Archives Départementales de laMartinique in Fort-de-France, Martinique, and the Biblioteque Nationale, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, and Archives Nationales in Paris. She will also use this opportunity to connect with… read more about Jacequeline Allain and Natalie Gasparawicz have been awarded Fulbright-Hays DDRA fellowships. »
Here are recently published and forthcoming books by Duke authors, from September and October: Marc Zvi Brettler, co-author: “The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently” Annotated Edition (HarperOne, Oct. 27, 2020) Avshalom Caspi and Terrie E. Moffitt, co-authors: “The Origins of You: How Childhood Shapes Later Life” (Harvard University Press) Samuel Fury Childs Daly: “A History of the Republic of Biafra: Law, Crime,… read more about New Great Reads from Duke Authors »
With the 2020 presidential election less than a month away, we have collected six Duke-authored books detailing the forces — social, economic, and historical — behind the electoral process in the United States. Afterwards, check out all the new Duke-authored publications from September and October 2020. These books along with many others are available at the Duke University Libraries, the Gothic Bookshop or the Regulator Bookshop. Duke Votes — a non-partisan, student-led organization — is also a source… read more about Six Duke Books on Elections and Voting »
Jolie Olcott has been named a co-recipient of the Ida Blom-Karen Offen Prize in Transnational Women's and Gender History for her book International Women's Year: The Greatest Consciousness-Raising Event in History (Oxford University Press, 2017). The citation for the award follows: This engaging history complicates the standard narrative of the 1975 United Nations International Women’s Year (IWY) Conference in Mexico City. It unpacks some of the oppositions which have shaped… read more about Jolie Olcott named a co-recipient of the Ida Blom-Karen Offen Prize in Transnational Women's and Gender History »
The recent protests over police killings of Black men, and the reaction to those protests by some white Americans, underscores a massively polarized electorate heading into the November election. But to what extent is the nation truly divided, and which voting blocks might play key roles? Three Duke scholars discussed these topics and more Wednesday during a virtual media briefing. Watch the briefing on YouTube. Here are excerpts: ON DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHITE IDENTITY AND WHITE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION… read more about How Racial Identity and Polarization Could Influence the Election »
Malachi Hacohen’s book, Jacob & Esau: Jewish European History Between Nation & Empire (Cambridge University Press, 2019) has been awarded the 2020 Biennial Book Prize by the Center for Austrian Studies. Hooray. The citation for the award reads, While demonstrating the ways in which Jewish history was inextricably linked with the history of Europe as a whole, Hacohen’s narrative also underscores the enduring significance of rabbinic culture and Jewish religious… read more about Malachi Hacohen's book awarded the 2020 Biennial Book Prize by the Center for Austrian Studies »
Thavolia Glymph's book, The Women's Fight" The Civil War's Battle for Home, Freedom, and Nation, is one of five books recommended to "help to inform the present moment by showing how African Americans have long navigated the informal and formal structures of racism in their battle for civil rights and social justice". read more about Thavolia Glymph's book named "The Five Best Books on the African-American Civil War Experience" »
To prepare for the fall semester, the Department of History formed an ad hoc committee, to create a "set of best practices for teaching online and reviewing syllabi to see if there were opportunities for increased engagement for online students. " Members of the team consisted of faculty and graduate students. read more about Dedicated Devils: History Department Committee Helps Faculty Find New Opportunities Amid COVID-19 »
Prof. John French's new book, “Lula and His Politics of Cunning: From Metalworker to President of Brazil," follows Lula from a young man, to the founder of Brazil’s Workers’ Party. read more about Professor John French on Lula, Former Brazilian President (and the Country’s COVID-19 Problem) »
