The Creation of American Slavery
02/18/12 07:08
Mary sends this in, in relation to the case she mentioned in our last discussion:
Here's a link to the wikipedia page for Anthony Johnson, the African immigrant who, it is claimed "owned the first legal slave in Virginia"--though Johnson's own property was seized by the government at his death since he was never and could not be a citizen. I couldn't find the link to any of the pages that I had seen that has sensationalized this (and I know at least one claimed that "slavery in the United States was started by a Black Man"). This is all fascinating (and deeply disturbing) to me--particularly in light of our discussion about America as a white supremacist nation and maybe even in the context of exceptionalism.
Anyway, here it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Johnson_(colonist)
Here's a link to the wikipedia page for Anthony Johnson, the African immigrant who, it is claimed "owned the first legal slave in Virginia"--though Johnson's own property was seized by the government at his death since he was never and could not be a citizen. I couldn't find the link to any of the pages that I had seen that has sensationalized this (and I know at least one claimed that "slavery in the United States was started by a Black Man"). This is all fascinating (and deeply disturbing) to me--particularly in light of our discussion about America as a white supremacist nation and maybe even in the context of exceptionalism.
Anyway, here it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Johnson_(colonist)
Emotion, Evidence, and UVA
02/11/12 08:18
Amanda sends this in:
This article popped on my newsfeed and I thought some aspects of it would be helpful for our discussion on Wednesday. For example, the author talks about emotional testimony and the impact of race and class on sentencing. And its a relevant, current case at UVA.
Huguely evidence casts UVA students in an unattractive light
February 9, 2012
The fourth day of the George Huguely was dominated by testimony from friends of George Huguely and Yeardley Love, talking about a culture among one segment of the University of Virginia student community more reminiscent of an early afternoon soap opera than of one of the country’s best institutions of higher learning. According to their friends, called as witnesses for the Commonwealth, their world was one of alcohol, promiscuity, jealousy, anger and fighting. I don’t need to rehash it all — if you want, look at WVIR’s website for the witness-by-witness detail. It brings to mind a quote from Chef on South Park — “There is a time and a place for everything. It’s called college.” In my on-the-air commentary for WVIR today, I mistakenly attributed the quote to Homer Simpson. My bad.
The problem for a lawyer in a murder case — either prosecution or defense — is to figure out how to deal with the reputations of the defendant and the victim. Within days, the photos appeared — George Huguely in his UVA lacrosse jersey, gray t-shirt visible underneath, hair disheveled, just a hint of a smile; Yeardley Love in what I assume was her UVA lacrosse jacket, makeup and hair perfect, beautiful smile, looking stunning.
More here.
This article popped on my newsfeed and I thought some aspects of it would be helpful for our discussion on Wednesday. For example, the author talks about emotional testimony and the impact of race and class on sentencing. And its a relevant, current case at UVA.
Huguely evidence casts UVA students in an unattractive light
February 9, 2012
The fourth day of the George Huguely was dominated by testimony from friends of George Huguely and Yeardley Love, talking about a culture among one segment of the University of Virginia student community more reminiscent of an early afternoon soap opera than of one of the country’s best institutions of higher learning. According to their friends, called as witnesses for the Commonwealth, their world was one of alcohol, promiscuity, jealousy, anger and fighting. I don’t need to rehash it all — if you want, look at WVIR’s website for the witness-by-witness detail. It brings to mind a quote from Chef on South Park — “There is a time and a place for everything. It’s called college.” In my on-the-air commentary for WVIR today, I mistakenly attributed the quote to Homer Simpson. My bad.
The problem for a lawyer in a murder case — either prosecution or defense — is to figure out how to deal with the reputations of the defendant and the victim. Within days, the photos appeared — George Huguely in his UVA lacrosse jersey, gray t-shirt visible underneath, hair disheveled, just a hint of a smile; Yeardley Love in what I assume was her UVA lacrosse jacket, makeup and hair perfect, beautiful smile, looking stunning.
More here.
Blacks Face Bias in Bankruptcy, Study Suggests
01/22/12 09:04
More here, which links very effectively with Michelle Alexander’s book that we will read in a few weeks.
Ercia James' "Democratic Insecurities"
01/21/12 12:08
Here are the two chapters from Erica James’ fascinating Democratic Insecurities: Violence, Trauma, Intervention in Haiti that I think relate most directly to our course themes:
Introduction - Democracy, Insecurity, and the Commoditization of Suffering
Chapter 3 - Routines of Rupture and Spaces of (In)Security
Introduction - Democracy, Insecurity, and the Commoditization of Suffering
Chapter 3 - Routines of Rupture and Spaces of (In)Security
Nicholas Dirks on 2/10
01/20/12 11:18
The universe continues to deliver us the authors we’re reading this semester!
THE FUTURE OF INDIAN STUDIES, A lecture series discussing the future of South Asian studies in the Academy
"Scholars and Spices: the Early Emergence of South Asian Area Studies, and Reflections on its Future," Nicholas B. Dirks; February 10, 2012, 3 PM
THE FUTURE OF INDIAN STUDIES, A lecture series discussing the future of South Asian studies in the Academy
"Scholars and Spices: the Early Emergence of South Asian Area Studies, and Reflections on its Future," Nicholas B. Dirks; February 10, 2012, 3 PM
Erica James on 1/27
01/18/12 15:09
Pastoral Power, Haitian Migration,
and the Biopolitics of Catholic Charity in the United States
Erica Caple James
Class of 1947 Career Development Professor and Associate Professor of Anthropology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
January 27, 2012
1-3:00 PM
Reception Follows in Brooks Commons
Abstract
In this talk I analyze the role that Catholic Charities have played in the United States in providing sanctuary and care to Haitian refugees, immigrants, and undocumented migrants. Such work occurs as part of an overall religious mission to serve the poor, the sick, and otherwise liminal persons; to advocate for social justice; and to convene public and private partners to address the roots of social distress and poverty. Drawing upon Michel Foucault’s theories of pastoral power and biopolitics, as well as Giorgio Agamben’s elaboration of those theories, I argue that publicly funded religious agencies that provide social services to vulnerable, mobile populations offer a new twist on old debates over whether there can ever truly exist a “wall of separation between church and State.” By analyzing how Catholic Charities has served Haitian refugees in Miami, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts in the 1990s and 2000s, I suggest that faith-based organizations that manage (or contain) liminal populations on behalf of the state have become part of a governmental apparatus that polices such populations to preserve public health and national security. In light of these partnerships, the distinction between sacred and profane, charismatic and bureaucratic, public and private, and compassionate and repressive regulatory regimes dissolves.
For her book,
Democratic Insecurities
Violence, Trauma, and Intervention in Haiti
Talk on ICC on Friday 1/27
01/17/12 18:33
"The Problematic Foundations of International Criminal Convictions"
A Public Address by Dr. Nancy Combs of The College of William and Mary Law School
Friday, January 27 at 11:30am
134 Monroe Hall
Please contact Zach Hoffman at zah3pn@virginia.edu with any questions.
A Public Address by Dr. Nancy Combs of The College of William and Mary Law School
Friday, January 27 at 11:30am
134 Monroe Hall
Please contact Zach Hoffman at zah3pn@virginia.edu with any questions.
Michael Herzfeld on 4/6
01/04/12 11:44
Michael Herzfeld will be presenting in the anthropology department colloquium series on Friday, April 6. We will read his book on bureaucracy (which is probably not the explicit topic of his presentation) in the weeks before.
Mark West on "Lovesick Japan" on 3/23
01/03/12 22:34
Mark West, Nippon Life Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan Law School, will be speaking in the anthropology department’s colloquium series on Friday, March 23rd. We will read one of his earlier books, Law in Everyday Japan, to have a greater sense of the context he’s examining.
His presentation abstract:
A comprehensive body of evidence -- 2,700 Japanese court opinions – shows a Japan full of emotion but nevertheless characterized by a presupposed absence of physical and emotional intimacy, affection, and interconnectedness in personal relationships. Love usually appears as a tragic, overwhelming emotion associated with jealousy, suffering, heartache, and death.
The cases also show that love is inextricably linked with law. Japanese judges frequently opine on whether a person is in love, what other emotions a person is feeling, and whether those emotions are appropriate for the situation. When judges eschew formalistic legal analysis and conduct a more visceral examination of emotions, they highlight the illusory nature of the line between what we think of as “law” and what we think of as “non-law” in an area that is central to being human.
His presentation abstract:
A comprehensive body of evidence -- 2,700 Japanese court opinions – shows a Japan full of emotion but nevertheless characterized by a presupposed absence of physical and emotional intimacy, affection, and interconnectedness in personal relationships. Love usually appears as a tragic, overwhelming emotion associated with jealousy, suffering, heartache, and death.
The cases also show that love is inextricably linked with law. Japanese judges frequently opine on whether a person is in love, what other emotions a person is feeling, and whether those emotions are appropriate for the situation. When judges eschew formalistic legal analysis and conduct a more visceral examination of emotions, they highlight the illusory nature of the line between what we think of as “law” and what we think of as “non-law” in an area that is central to being human.
Spring events on "Forced Migration"
01/02/12 11:40
The Page-Barbour Initiative on Forced Migration will surely be of interest to many of us. Given, especially, our focus on international courts and justice, these events will be incredibly appropriate and productive for us.
You can join their mailing list here.
FRIDAY, 1/27/12: Public address on Grounds by Prof. Nancy Combs (W&M Law School), on "The Problematic Evidentiary Foundations of International Criminal Convictions." Prof. Combs's talk, which is co-sponsored by the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) and the Center for International Studies (CIS), will focus on the work of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
FRIDAY, 2/3/12: Public address at the Law School by Prof. David Scheffer (Northwestern Law School), on "A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals." Prof. Scheffer's talk, which is being organized by Prof. David Martin and is co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS, will focus on his experience as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, including his interactions with the ICTY and the ICTR.
FRIDAY, 2/24/12: Public address on Grounds by Dr. Marko A. Hoare (Kingston University, London), on "Genocide in the Former Yugoslavia." Prof. Hoare's talk, which is co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS, will focus on the mass atrocities that occurred during the wars of Yugoslav succession and efforts by the ICTY and other courts to prosecute perpetrators.
THURSDAY, 3/15/12 - FRIDAY, 3/16/12: Public address on Grounds on 3/15/12 by The Honorable Richard J. Goldstone on "The Current State of International Criminal Justice," followed on 3/16/12 by a discussion open to faculty and graduate students on the history and jurisprudence of the ICTY and the ICTR. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS.
MONDAY, 3/26/12 - TUESDAY, 3/27/12: Public addresses (panel format) on Grounds on 3/26/12 on international criminal justice featuring Patricia Viseur Sellers (former Legal Adviser for Gender-Related Crimes at the ICTY and Visiting Fellow, Oxford University) and Prof. William Schabas (National University of Ireland, Galway), followed on 3/27/12 by a discussion open to faculty and graduate students with pre-circulated papers by Profs. Schabas and Sellers on topics TBA. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS.
THURSDAY, 4/12/12 - FRIDAY, 4/13/12: Public address on Grounds on 4/12/12 by Prof. Norman Naimark on "Stalin's Genocides," followed on 4/13/12 by a workshop open to faculty and graduate students on the history of ethnic cleansing. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES, the CIS, the Jewish Studies Program, and the History Dept.
You can join their mailing list here.
FRIDAY, 1/27/12: Public address on Grounds by Prof. Nancy Combs (W&M Law School), on "The Problematic Evidentiary Foundations of International Criminal Convictions." Prof. Combs's talk, which is co-sponsored by the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) and the Center for International Studies (CIS), will focus on the work of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
FRIDAY, 2/3/12: Public address at the Law School by Prof. David Scheffer (Northwestern Law School), on "A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals." Prof. Scheffer's talk, which is being organized by Prof. David Martin and is co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS, will focus on his experience as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, including his interactions with the ICTY and the ICTR.
FRIDAY, 2/24/12: Public address on Grounds by Dr. Marko A. Hoare (Kingston University, London), on "Genocide in the Former Yugoslavia." Prof. Hoare's talk, which is co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS, will focus on the mass atrocities that occurred during the wars of Yugoslav succession and efforts by the ICTY and other courts to prosecute perpetrators.
THURSDAY, 3/15/12 - FRIDAY, 3/16/12: Public address on Grounds on 3/15/12 by The Honorable Richard J. Goldstone on "The Current State of International Criminal Justice," followed on 3/16/12 by a discussion open to faculty and graduate students on the history and jurisprudence of the ICTY and the ICTR. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS.
MONDAY, 3/26/12 - TUESDAY, 3/27/12: Public addresses (panel format) on Grounds on 3/26/12 on international criminal justice featuring Patricia Viseur Sellers (former Legal Adviser for Gender-Related Crimes at the ICTY and Visiting Fellow, Oxford University) and Prof. William Schabas (National University of Ireland, Galway), followed on 3/27/12 by a discussion open to faculty and graduate students with pre-circulated papers by Profs. Schabas and Sellers on topics TBA. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES and the CIS.
THURSDAY, 4/12/12 - FRIDAY, 4/13/12: Public address on Grounds on 4/12/12 by Prof. Norman Naimark on "Stalin's Genocides," followed on 4/13/12 by a workshop open to faculty and graduate students on the history of ethnic cleansing. These events are co-sponsored by CREEES, the CIS, the Jewish Studies Program, and the History Dept.