Project lead: Dr. Makeba Lavan, Assistant Professor of English
Vivero Fellow (Spring 2023): Lilith Hafner
The study of interracial relationships reveals so much about our nation’s history, present, and potential futures. Therefore, the course will immerse us in a historical, sociological, and cultural study of anti-miscegenation laws in the United States, early representations of and media responses to interracial relationships, and the evolving depictions of interracial relationships in the media. I imagine a survey course wherein the first week is dedicated to the history of anti-miscegenation laws, the second week focuses on the links between miscegenation, eugenics, and institutionalized racism, and weeks 3-6 analyze contemporary popular media (radio, film, tv, fine art) portrayals of interracial relationships over the last hundred years. Our interdisciplinary analysis will provide invaluable insight into national attitudes regarding interracial relationships in the 20th and early 21st centuries and what they suggest about American cultural norms. Vivero Fellow Lilith Hafner helped design a digital humanities project for this spring semester short course and assisted with its implementation, including the creation of the course website (https://miscegenationnation.sites.grinnell.edu/).
