Reflections on "The Struggle for the People's King" and Archive Presentations.

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The presentations of each group’s project, and the depth of their research were interesting. Glimpsing into their selection process and getting an idea of what informed the final product. For example, the case on student life, allowed us to connect with the Kenyon students who came before us. They presented photos taken by students, as well as posters and objects we see as both recognizable and commonplace at our school today. In the hill case, we tried to collect items less for their individual story or significance but rather chose objects that supported the overall story of growth in the Kenyon community. In the case of other cases, for instance, Kenyon in the world, it was interesting to see the collection of notable figures, objects, and events, creating a full sense of the history. 


The reading from this week was concerned with the use of Civil Rights memory toward different ends. The first chapter was concerned with the Islamophobic sentiments rising around America after 2001. The chapter begins by discussing the beginnings of the Civil Rights Tour, led by the CAIR. the sentiments presented were acknowledgment they don’t identify with the memories of the civil rights movement, as well as the assumption that deploying the same tactics would be effective in this case. The discussion turns to say that due to the harsh political context we live in, the assumption of another cultural identity is hazardous. Importantly the chapter also discusses the roots of Islamic civil rights in America, as well as remarking that Malcolm X was a public muslim.


The following chapter looked at the way that presenting stories from the past can create a different perspective on current events. Notably, Oprah’s speech at the beginning of the #MeToo movement, referencing explicitly the story of Recy Taylor. This story highlighted both the depth of the problem and the pressure to solve it. The story also served to link the movement with the Civil Rights Movement, doing two important things. The recognition that the #MeToo movement was a basic civil rights movement, as well as creating an opportunity to spotlight black women. The prime example of this is being recognition for Anita Hill, during the Kavanagh trial.


The Archive project allowed us to delve into Kenyon’s history, as well as learn what our peers had researched. Chapters from this week caused me to reflect on the fact that all of the important figures from Kenyon’s history were white men. In such an old, American institution it stands to reason there Black men and women would be underrepresented. The Case from Women at Kenyon highlighted important women throughout Kenyon's history while still recognizing the barriers to entry that existed and underscoring women’s underrecocognition in history. In the future of this project, it might be interesting to focus each group on a specific challenge related to the course reading. 


Works Cited:

Yazdiha, Hajar. 2023. The Struggle for the People's King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement. Princeton University Press.


 

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