Project Mentor
Dr. Sam Sommers
Departments: American Studies and English
Research Project Overview:
Reading in Talking Books: Theories of Race and Reading from Nineteenth-Century America tells the story of the co-implicated histories of race and reading in America. The project proceeds from the claim that eighteenth- and nineteenth-century theories of race underpin Americans’ most persistent beliefs about the activity of reading. From preoccupations with critical vs. uncritical reading; to claims that literacy is the key to liberation; to the conviction that “good readers” make good citizens—American theories of reading reiterate a premise of racial exclusion by failing to account for the intimate connections between literacy education and the idealization of whiteness by U.S. institutions.
By highlighting the intersecting rise of U.S. literary culture, literacy education, African Free Schools, and expanded prohibitions of literacy for Black Americans, I argue that the legacy of nineteenth-century racial thinking permeates the history of reading in America.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The student research apprentice (RA) will directly contribute to the process of finding and evaluating archival sources for my book project. The RA will search digital archives for accounts of Black Americans reading or learning to read, materials from freedmen’s schools and manumission societies, and legal statutes aimed at prohibiting Black Americans and enslaved persons from reading or learning to read. The RA will read and take notes on archival sources I’ve photographed during research trips to rare book libraries and archives. They will take notes and organizes sources I’ve collected from digital databases, extract information from these sources, and learn how to organize notes and citations in Zotero I believe the research apprentice will learn a lot about the history of reading and literacy education in the U.S. as well as the process of moving from primary sources to theoretical claims.
The work for this position may be completed 100% remotely.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
The apprentice would be welcome to work the full 92 hours. I have more than enough work to meet this time commitment. My ideal schedule would be for the student apprentice to work 8-10 hours a week for 10 consecutive weeks, however, I am very flexible. I could easily envision working with an apprentice for 4, 6, 8, or 12 weeks. There are no specific hours or days the apprentice would need to commit to work. My only requirement is that the apprentice commit to working a minimum of 2 consecutive weeks at a time rather than a day or two in one month and every day the next.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Readiness to engage with histories of systemic racism and anti-blackness in U.S. culture
- Experience searching and troubleshooting library databases
- Interests in pre-1900 US history, African American literature, and historical print culture are welcome but not required
- Experience conducting research in the humanities is a plus but also not required
To Apply:
The application is closed.