This course explores the ways in which objects and material culture embody personal narrative. Moving back and forth from ephemeral traces of events and experiences to the culturally invested luxury goods that create legacy to the objects that facilitate daily life, this class will use, as its primary references, examples that draw from queer and African American cultures to underscore the potential of objects to tell the stories that not only reflect majority traditions and experiences but those of the disenfranchised, the details of whose lives are often obscured. In addition to readings that will provide background for class discussion, student will be asked to play the roles of detectives, archeologists, and curators at various sites around New York City. Each student will also be asked to create an annotated material record that reveals the public and private lives of one individual. That record may consist of texts, objects or any variety of media chosen or designed by the student. This blogs serves as an archive for the work done in the context of this course and related materials that become relevant to this exploration.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

On Raven-Symoné and Erasing Black Lesbian Identity

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dinean-robinson/on-raven-symone-and-erasi_b_5985782.html

Recently, Raven Symone said that she doesn't identify herself as black or gay. There have been incredibly mixed responses. However, her speaking about this issue raised interesting questions. We live in a world that is inherently labeled. Is it more or less beneficial to culture to embrace these labels and become a part of the community they create? Or is it better to all simply exist as people, free of labels or categories? It also brings to mind people who don't identify as male or female and exist as a they rather than a he or she. How is their nonrelation to a category different than Raven's? Is it even different? I don't have the answers to any of these questions, but they were interesting thoughts brought forth by this article. 

Posted by Briana Lynch

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