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by abritt

Suh quoted in ‘AJC’ Article on the History of Asian Immigrants and their Descendants in Georgia

Dr. Chris Suh, Assistant Professor of History, was recently quoted in an article in The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Written in the wake of the March 16 killing of eight people, including six Asian women, in Atlanta, the article examines how Asian immigrants and their descendants have navigated racial divides in Georgia. Suh’s research specializations include the US in the Pacific World, Asian American history, comparative studies in race and ethnicity, and the Progressive Era. His current book project is titled “At the Dawn of the Pacific Era: American Encounters with Asians in the Progressive Era of Empire and Exclusion.” Read an excerpt from the AJC piece citing Suh below along with the full article: “Asians have long, complex history navigating Georgia’s racial divides.”

“Chris Suh, an assistant professor of history at Emory, said the university was one of several southern Methodist schools that recruited elite students from East Asia in the 1880s and 1890s to train as missionaries in the southern conservative tradition.

“‘This is a time when Blacks and Jewish Americans are being persecuted, and you randomly have these Asian elites who are invited to dinner parties with the most influential southerners because they’re Christian, because they’ve conformed to what the white Christians believe is a great way for a non-white person to behave,’ said Suh.“

by abritt

Celebrating Senior Prize Winners for 2020-’21

The Undergraduate Committee recently announced the winners of senior prizes for 2020-’21. Congratulations to the recipients, listed below:

  • George P. Cuttino Prize for the best record in European History: Jesse Steinman
  • James Z. Rabun Prize for the best record in American History: Max Rotenberg & Melanie Dunn
  • The Latin America & Non-Western World Prize for best record in Latin America & Non-Western World History: Jacob DeFazio
  • Matthew A. Carter Citizen-Scholar Award: Ciara Murphy

These awards will be presented at the History Department’s virtual Senior Celebration on Wednesday, May 5, 2-3p (Zoom details to come). Browse past winners of the senior prizes here.

by abritt

Anderson Quoted in ‘TIME’ Article on GA Voting Law

Dr. Carol Anderson was recently quoted in the TIME article “Georgia Has Enacted Sweeping Changes to Its Voting Law. Here’s Why Voting Rights Advocates Are Worried.” The article outlines reactions to recent legislation that places new requirements and restrictions on voting in the state of Georgia. The Republican supporters of the law describe it as preventing electoral fraud, while critics see the legislation as aiming to suppress and disenfranchise voters, especially Black and Brown voters. Read an excerpt quoting Anderson below along with the full piece.

“Carol Anderson, chair of African American Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, describes the attempt by Georgia’s legislature as well as others around the country as similar to the Mississippi plan of 1890, which employed measures such as poll taxes and literacy tests to add barriers to the polls that especially affected Black Americans.

“’It didn’t say, ‘Okay, we’re just going to have the poll tax, and that ought to stop black people from voting.’ What it did was it had an array of policies that were designed and that worked together. If the poll tax didn’t get you, the literacy test would. If the literacy test didn’t get you, then the good character clause would,’ Anderson says. ‘It’s a web. You’re dodging and you’re hopping, but lord, don’t hit one of those things.’”

by abritt

Anderson Analyzes Senate Bill 202 for WABE’s ‘A Closer Look’

Dr. Carol Anderson, Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies and Associated Faculty in the History Department, was recently a guest on the WABE radio show A Closer Look. Anderson analyzed Senate Bill 202, legislation that Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law that will place new requirements and restrictions on voting in the state of Georgia. Anderson places this legislation into historical context, drawing parallels between these new restrictions and voter suppression tactics from generations prior. Read an excerpt below along with the full piece: “Emory Professor Discusses Voter Suppression, Senate Bill 202, Power Of Black Vote.”

“During the virtual interview, Anderson told show host Rose Scott that she believes Senate Bill 202 is based on false premises. ‘If it passes, I expect immediate legal challenges,’ said Anderson. ‘It is really clear that this bill is based on the [big lie] — the big lie that led to the Capitol insurrection, the big lie about the stealing of the vote, the big lie about massive voter fraud.’ Anderson also said lawmakers have historically tried to shut down Black voting power — citing several examples, including literacy tests, poll taxes and the Mississippi Plan.“

by abritt

Lisa Greenwald (PhD ’96) Featured on Fox News NY and NBC News NY

Fox and NBC news outlets in New York City recently featured the community building work of Dr. Lisa Greenwald, a 1996 graduate of the Emory History PhD program. Greenwald has been a driving force behind the reanimation of her block association in New York City’s Upper West Side, which has organized multiple charitable projects relating to COVID-19. Greenwald herself was named “New Yorker of the Week” earlier this year in recognition of her cooking dinner every Wednesday night for women and children at a local shelter. Greenwald teaches at Stuyvesant High School and published Daughters of 1968: Redefining French Feminism and the Women’s Liberation Movement with the University of Nebraska Press in 2019. Watch the news stories featuring Greenwald and the block association’s work: “Pandemic Brings NYC Neighborhood Closer Together” and “West 111th Street Block Association.”

by abritt

Suh to Speak at Event, “Addressing Anti-Asian Violence in Context and Community”

Dr. Chris Suh, Assistant Professor of History, will speak this evening along with other members of the Emory community at a virtual event titled “Addressing Anti-Asian Violence in Context and Community.” The conversation will take place from 6-7pm at the following link: https://emory.zoom.us/j/92475166678 (Zoom ID: 924 7516 6678). Read more about the event below:

“In light of recent events, we are offering a student-focused program addressing the surge of anti-Asian violence on both a national and local level. We welcome individuals of Asian descent to join us tomorrow, March 18th, at 6 PM ET for a time of connection to learn more about the wider historical context of anti-Asian violence, meaning-making during this time of pain, and self-care practices we can use to sustain ourselves and our communities. The discussion will be facilitated by Melissa Paa Redwood (Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement), Dr. Chris Suh (Department of History), Dr. Jane Yang (Counseling and Psychological Services), the Venerable Priya Sraman (Office of Spiritual and Religious Life), and Alia Azmat (Counseling and Psychological Services).”

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Anderson Named AAPSS’s 2021 W. E. B. DuBois Fellow

Congratulations to Dr. Carol Anderson on being one of five distinguished scholars inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS). The honor recognizes the contributions of university-based scholars and public servants who advance science and deepen public understanding of human behavior and social dynamics. There are 145 AAPSS fellows in total. Anderson, who was named the AAPSS’s 2021 W.E.B. DuBois Fellow, is also Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies and Associated Faculty in the History Department. Read more about the award via the AAPSS press release.

by abritt

Strocchia to Present on “Women and Healthcare: Lessons from the Italian Renaissance”

Dr. Sharon T. Strocchia, Professor of History, will give a talk entitled “Women and Healthcare: Lessons from the Italian Renaissance” on March 22 at 4pm via Zoom. The event will include a panel discussion with Dr. Ruth Parker, Professor of Medicine in the Emory University School of Medicine, and Dr. Kylie Smith, Associate Professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and Associated Faculty in the History Department. Strocchia’s talk will draw on her most recent and multiple-prize-winning book, Forgotten Healers: Women and the Pursuit of Health in Late Renaissance Italy (Harvard UP, 2019). Find out more information and register for the event by emailing Becky Herrin (bherrin [at] emory [dot] edu).

by abritt

Suddler to Moderate Panel, “Beyond the Games: Black Women & Sports – Past, Present, and Future”

Dr. Carl Suddler, Assistant Professor of History, will moderate the upcoming panel, “Beyond the Games: Black Women & Sports – Past, Present, and Future.” The event will feature Renee Montgomery (Executive and Co-owner, The Atlanta Dream), Elisabeth Akinwale (Co-founder of the 13th Flow Performance System), Keiko Price (Emory’s Clyde Partin Sr. Director of Athletics), and Lanita Gregory Campbell (Director of Emory’s Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement). The event, which coincides with Women’s History Month, will take place on Thursday, March 18, at 4:30pm. The Department of History is a sponsor of the event, which is also part of the 2021 Sports History Lecture Series.

by abritt

Suh’s Work Highlighted in “Race, Equity, Resilience, and Social Justice Research” Feature

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research recently featured the work of Dr. Chris Suh, Assistant Professor of History, in a series on Race, Equity, Resilience, and Social Justice Research at Emory. Suh’s research centers on race, ethnicity, and inequality, especially the United States’ engagement with the Pacific World and Asian migration to the United States. Read an excerpt from the feature below along with the full piece: “Race, Equity, Resilience, and Social Justice Research at Emory University.”

“When someone tells Chris Suh that history repeats itself, he replies—not necessarily.

“‘The past only repeats itself if you choose to see it that way,’ he says. And it’s the historian’s job to help uncover those surprises or variations in the archival record that challenge conventional assumptions.“