The Cosmopolitan Culture of the Gullah/Geechees
Emphasizing the isolation enforced by Lowcountry geography erases the agency of Gullah/Geechee communities in the preservation of African culture.
Fast Horses and Eugenics
The breeding of race horses validated those aspiring to belong to an American elite while feeding into racist beliefs about genetic inheritance.
Murder, Memory, and Normalcy
Well-researched stories from The Cut, Grist, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Teaching Citizenship in the Falling Ottoman Empire
In the nineteenth century, the state used a new education system to shape young citizens' attitudes toward a shrinking empire and the emerging Republic.
Space Junk, Science with Monks, and Imposter Syndrome
Well-researched stories from Science Alert, Vox, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
1930s Filipinos Were Hip to American Style. There Was Backlash.
Filipinos, newly arrived to West Coast cities, displayed a mastery over American cultural life thanks to their knowledge of Hollywood films.
Losing Bananas, Fighting Malaria, and Naming Objects
Well-researched stories from Salon, The New Yorker, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Algae: The Food of the Future of the Past
In the years following World War II, American and European food scientists hoped to feed the world with common pond scum supplemented with plastics.
The Easter Witches of Sweden
Today's lighthearted Easter tradition traces its roots to the witch trials and conspiracy theories of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Building an Economy on Paper Money
A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn't like it, but the colonists did.