2108 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052

Thursday, October 24, 2024

SPRING 2025 SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS: UNDERGRAD / GRAD

79 - Mount Vesuvius erupts burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands.

1931 - The George Washington Bridge is dedicated by then New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1926 - Harry Houdini gave his last performance at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.

2023 - Britney Spears releases her memoir “The Woman in Me”.

Boeing Workers Resoundingly Reject New Contract and Extend Strike. The New York Times.

From the Ruins of the Past, Indigenous Artists Fashion New Futures. Hyperallergic.

Photo credit: Cam Cannon

This newsletter edition we highlight current PhD candidate Cam Cannon! Cam's academic journey is defined by a deep commitment to understanding and challenging the historical and social dimensions of gender-affirming care in the United States. Currently immersed in their doctoral research here at GW, Cam is delving into the intricate evolution of diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols within the realm of gender-affirming care. Their dissertation, tentatively titled “Standard: Trans Activism and the History of Gender-Affirming Care in the U.S.,” seeks to unravel the complex journey of these protocols from the world of sexology to their influence in U.S. legal, carceral, and political systems. Before beginning their doctoral work, Cam wrote a bit about surveillance, consumerism, and labor, which you can check out online in the archives of Real Life magazine.

With a background in Philosophy and a MA in Ethics and Applied Philosophy, Cam transitioned to American Studies to pursue more interdisciplinary work. Their passion for archival work has been a driving force in their academic pursuits, as they immerse themselves in tracing historical debates in U.S. transgender intellectual history.

Cam’s dedication to their research has been bolstered by prestigious fellowships, including the ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Innovation Fellowship, the Chair in Transgender Studies Visiting Researcher Fellowship, and the Consortium for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. Always eager to engage with fellow scholars, Cam is open to discussions on funding applications and sharing research materials with graduate students.

When not immersed in academic pursuits, Cam finds solace in watching reality TV with their beloved companions, Lily, their dog, and Hildegard, their cat named after the mystic German nun. Having grown up in Southeast Louisiana, Cam relishes the change of scenery and uneventful hurricane season of the North and is eagerly looking forward to the continued intellectual growth and camaraderie within the GW American Studies graduate program.

Abolitionism, Revolution, and Afro-Feminism in Practice
GW Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

Join moderators and WGSS peers for an informal discussion of abolitionism, revolution, and Afro-feminism, both as theoretical concepts and as daily practices. This is a student-led event, moderated by undergraduate students Ye Gang Lee and Elie Egbarin-Aho, e-board member of GW's Black Defiance. This event will put real-world context to theoretical concepts. Examples include care ethics seen via Palestinian encampment as an act of revolution, revolution as collective individualism instead of a unified front, and abolitionism and mobilizing versus organizing.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024; 4:00-5:00 PM EDT
Where: 801 22nd Street NW, Phillips Hall, Room 413

Register here!

Howard University students in the 1940s. Photo by Robert H. McNeill

D.C. Mondays: Lucy Diggs Slowe
GWU Museum & Textile Museum

Teacher and social justice advocate Lucy Diggs Slowe transformed education for Black students in D.C. She established new schools, co-founded the nation’s first historically Black sorority, served in trailblazing leadership roles and championed equality and justice in higher education, particularly at her alma mater, Howard University. Join Amy Yeboah Quarkume, editor of Her Truth and Service: Lucy Diggs Slowe in Her Own Words (Columbia University, 2024), as she reflects on Slowe’s influential career.

When: Monday, Nov. 4, 2024; 11:00 AM EDT
Where: Zoom

Register here!

PROMISES, THEN THE STORM
A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

Join Busboy and Poets, and GW AMST Professor Melani McAlister for a discussion marking the release of her new book—Promises, Then The Storm. On the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, McAlister began to use her journal to track the rapid development of the conflict and the parallel evolution in the ways it was represented in the US media. Drawing on decades of experience as a scholar of US–Middle East relations, as well as her personal history in activism, this incisive and dynamic text traces the devastating development of the current war in real time, identifying echoes with previous moments in the history of the region and the protests and artistic responses they prompted.

When: Monday, Nov. 4, 2024; 6:00 PM EDT
Where: 450 K St NW Washington, DC 20001

Register here!

Prof. James McMaster recently presented a paper entitled “The Art of Asian American Catharsis” at the ASAP (Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present) Conference in NYC.

Prof. Libby Anker recently sat down and interviewed historian Timothy Snyder on freedom and authoritarianism for C-SPAN.

Prof. Libby Anker will be covering election night for Al-Jazeera English on November 5!

Call for Papers: The Graduate Consortium in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality at MIT is currently accepting papers for their upcoming student conference "Liberatory Practices for Worlds in Crisis." Click here to learn more // Deadline: Oct. 30, 2024

Call for Applications: The University of Minnesota's Department of American Studies is accepting applications for their President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 1, 2024

Call for Applications: The Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a tenure-track position as assistant professor specializing in the history and politics of the production and consumption of culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 14, 2024

Call for Applications: The Department of History at Creighton University invites applications for a full-time, tenure track Assistant Professor specializing in African and African Diaspora history, with preference given to those who have a special interest (in research and/or teaching) in science, medicine, or legal studies. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 15, 2024

Call for Applications: The Huntington Library will begin accepting Research Fellowship Applications for the 2025-2026 fellowship year for Long-Term Fellowships, Short-Term Fellowships, and Travel Grants/Exchange Fellowships. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 15, 2024

Call for Applications: The Newberry Library is currently accepting applications for their 25-26 long-term and short-term fellowships. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 15, 2024 (long); Jan. 3, 2025 (short)

Call for Applications: The U.S. Institute of Peace is seeking applicants for the Peace Scholar Fellowship. This annual cohort program supports dissertation completion of doctoral candidates with projects related to peace and conflict, broadly defined. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 20, 2024

Call for Applications: The Massachusetts Historical Society will sponsor dozens of research fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year, ranging from short-term support to long-term residency. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Varies by Fellowship Type

Call for Papers: UVA's English Department Graduate Symposium is currently seeking abstracts for their upcoming symposium themed "Space and Place." Click here to learn more // Deadline: Jan. 3, 2025

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What We're Listening To:
"In the Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett
"Thank You" - Dido

Like what you see? Have spotlights, kudos, events, or opportunities that you would like to share? We want to hear from you! Navigate to our feedback form using the link below, or more simply, forward your tip to amst@gwu.edu.