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Thursday, February 8, 2024

1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots is beheaded for plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I.

1960 - Construction begins on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1965 - The Supremes’ single “Stop in the Name of Love” is released.

1976 - Martin Scorsese’s film “Taxi Driver” starring Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster premieres in NYC.

Inside the graffiti-covered L.A. skyscrapers that drew global attention. The Washington Post.

Spike Lee on His Collection of WWII Propaganda Posters. Hyperallergic.

At 116, She Has Outlived Generations of Loved Ones. But Her Entire Town Has Become Family. The New York Times.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Oldham

This newsletter edition we spotlight Maureen Rafter, a senior double majoring in Music and American Studies. For her senior thesis in American Studies—"Settling the Score: An Interrogation of Racialized Music Instruction at George Washington University"—Maureen combined her interests in 20th and 21st century popular music and American electoral politics by examining the evolution and racialization of music education at GW. 

Maureen’s current project, “Rock the Vote: Barack Obama's Sonic Identity in Rock Campaign Music,” studies the use of Bruce Springsteen’s music in President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and is sponsored by the Luther Rice Fellowship. Through this project Maureen has expanded upon her interests in the inherently political messages of popular music and the cultural gatekeeping of underrepresented musical identities. A preliminary version of her research—Obama, Clinton, and the Power of Campaign Music—was published in 2020 by Trax on the Trail, a database that tracks music used during presidential campaigns.

In addition to her scholarly work, Maureen has continued to enrich her vocal and piano performance background at GW, performing as both a soloist and member of numerous ensembles in the Corcoran Music Department. Maureen also works as a Corcoran Ambassador where she provides support for the admissions process.

Maureen’s research is currently set to be presented at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music Conference in April!

From Abolitionist to Diplomat: Henry Highland Garnet & 
Early Relations with Liberia
National Museum of American Diplomacy

To commemorate Black History Month, NMAD’s Historian, Dr. Alison Mann, will offer a talk on the notable Black abolitionist, Henry Highland Garnet, and his brief diplomatic appointment as U.S. Minister to Liberia. As a self-emancipated formerly enslaved person turned activist, Garnet’s advocacy of the American Colonization Society’s mission supporting African American emigration to Liberia elevated his public profile.

When: Wednesday, February 21, 2024; 12:15-1:00 PM
Where: 330 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20006 (National Museum of American Diplomacy)

Register here! (RSVP deadline: Feb. 15, 2024)

Humanities Internship Academy

The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences and the GW Career Center are offering a new 4-part program for a select number of Sophomore and Juniors in the Humanities who are searching for summer internships: the Humanities Internship Academy.

After attending ALL 4 sessions, you will receive the following:
- A strategy for and confidence in your internship search
- Access to alumni connections
- A comprehensive resume included in a resume book for GW alumni hiring summer interns
- A stronger network of peers

The schedule for the Humanities Internship Academy:
Lunch will be provided.

Session 2, Friday, February 9, 12:15-1:30 p.m., USC 526
"Developing Your Brand (Resume, Cover Letter, & LinkedIn) and Preparing for the Career Fair"

Session 3: Thursday, February 15 (virtual) and/or Friday, February 16, USC 3rd Floor
"Spring 2024 Career Expo" 

Session 4: Friday, February 23, 12:15-1:30 p.m., USC 526
"Career Fair Next Steps and Networking"

To participate, you must commit to attending, in-person, 3 sessions and the Career Expo (in-person or virtually). There is a limited amount of space available, so If you are interested in participating in this program, please complete this Statement of Interest (SoI) survey.

Current PhD candidate Kwabena Slaugher (pictured above) celebrated the publication of "A Peripheral Vision: Framing the Cultural Bias in the Center of Photography" in Critical Inquiry.

Current PhD candidate GJ Sevillano was awarded a 2024 MMUF Dissertation Grant by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, funded by the Mellon Foundation.

Prof. Guglielmo was quoted by The Washington Post in the article “The historically familiar subtext to fears about immigrants to the U.S.” He was mentioned by The Washington Post in the article “The racism and ahistoricism of Trump’s ‘poison the blood’ rhetoric.”

Call for Submissions: Interested in Washington, D.C.’s history? Want experience blogging for a museum? Write for Evolution D.C., a blog hosted by the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies. Click here to learn more // Deadline: rolling submissions

Call for Papers: The American Studies Association calls for papers that examine the ASA from the ground of community engagement and research. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 12, 2024

Call for Applications: AAJC Youth Leadership Summit is currently accepting applications for their three-day leadership development program for undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines dedicated to addressing issues impacting Asian American communities. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 21, 2024

Call for Papers: The 2023-24 Mellon Sawyer Seminar at Georgetown University invites submissions for a half-day graduate student symposium—Plac(e)ing Black Futures. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 23, 2024

Call for Applications: The South Dakota Historic Preservation Office has a paid internship opportunity open for summer 2024. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 28, 2024

Call for Applications: The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress invites applications for several competitive awards and funded internships in 2024. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 1, 2024

Call for Applications: SHEAR (Society for Historians of the Early American Republic) will offer at least two research fellowships to scholars examining African diasporic, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American, and/or Pacific Island history from 1776 to 1861. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 1, 2024

Call for Applications: The Department of Justice's Historians Office is currently seeking applications for the Summer 2024 internship program. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 1, 2024.

Call for Applications: The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) announces a new short-term (6-week) fellowship for the 2024 selection season. Sponsored by the Algonquin Club Foundation, the fellowship carries a stipend of $5,000. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 1, 2024.

Call for Applications: The Early Career Scholars Committee & Mentorship Program (ECSCMP) of the Massachusetts Historical Society seeks new members for their 2024 cohort. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 15, 2024

Call for Papers: The National Women's Studies Association has opened their call for paper submissions for their 2024 Annual Conference. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Apr. 1, 2024

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What We're Listening To:
"Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" - Bobby "Blue" Bland
"I Get Lonely" - Janet Jackson

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