| Welcome |
|
What is American Studies? The Program in American Studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the society and cultures of the United States. American Studies majors critically examine the changing narratives and practices of American life in a curriculum that emphasizes both historical breadth and theoretical depth. Majors work closely with American Studies faculty, choosing the right combination of courses that will prepare them to write a uniquely interdisciplinary senior thesis. |
| Recent News |
"Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression," a lecture by Morris Dickstein, Distinguished Professor of English and Theatre, CUNY Graduate Center February 18, 2010, 12:00 PM Co-sponsored by The Herbert H. Lehman Center for American History and the Columbia University American Studies Program. Lunch will be served. RSVP required: lehmancenter@columbia.edu. Black Women In Jazz: A Tribute To The Women Who Made The Music: A Special Live Jazz Performance Featuring Marjorie Eliot February 19, 2010 Marjorie Eliot brings her Sunday Jazz concert to The Graduate Center in honor of the contributions made to Jazz music by women. The set will feature music by the legendary artists: Mary Lou Williams, Betty Carter, KoKo Taylor among others. Every Sunday for eighteen years, rain or shine, with no vacations, a jazz concert has taken place in the parlor of Marjorie Eliot's home in what she calls the northern tip of Harlem. Her weekly free concerts in the living room of her apartment are legendary in Harlem and an institution for jazz lovers citywide. A reading by Monica Miller, Assistant Professor of English, from her new book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity February 24, 2010, 7:00 PM Slaves to Fashion is a pioneering cultural history of the black dandy, from his emergence in Enlightenment England to his contemporary incarnations in the cosmopolitan art worlds of London and New York. It is populated by sartorial impresarios such as Julius Soubise, a freed slave who sometimes wore diamond-buckled, red-heeled shoes as he circulated through the social scene of eighteenth-century London, and Yinka Shonibare, a prominent Afro-British artist who not only styles himself as a fop but also creates ironic commentaries on black dandyism in his work. Interpreting performances and representations of black dandyism in particular cultural settings and literary and visual texts, Monica L. Miller emphasizes the importance of sartorial style to black identity formation in the Atlantic diaspora. "Afro-Latin@s in the Americas: History and Culture of an Invisible Majority" February 24, 2010, 5:00 - 8:00 pm The Latina/o and Latin American Faculty Working Group at Teachers College presents Afro-Latin@s in the Americas: History and Culture of an Invisible Majority Presentation, Workshop, and Cultural Expression. This event will focus on the experience of the African diaspora in the Americas, particularly the Caribbean and Brazil. It will feature a presentation on the history and culture of people of African descent in the Americas —paying particular attention to issues of identity. The presentation will be followed by an interactive workshop by the Afro-Latin@ Forum aimed at helping teachers incorporate these themes into their curriculum. The event will culminate with a cultural performance and reception featuring Afro-Caribbean music and food. Guest speakers include Professor Juan Flores of New York University and Miriam Jiménez Román, Executive Director of the Afro-Latin@ Forum. This is event is free but you must register at the following address: http://afrolatinos.eventbrite.com/ "Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton," a lecture by Duchess Harris, Associate Professor of American Studies, Macalaster College March 4, 2010, 5:00 PM Duchess Harris is an Associate Professor of American Studies at Macalaster College and author of Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton. She is a J.D. candidate at the William Mitchell College of Law. She is a Mellon Mays University Fellow from the University of Pennsylvania. For more information on Duchess Harris, please visit her website: http://duchessharris.com. |
