| History
Summer Updates
While the summer is a time of much needed rest and recuperation, for academics it is also a time for research. As you’ll see in the updates from each member of staff below, staff in History team have been busy…
| History
African American History
Read MoreSummer Updates
Harry Belafonte (1927-2023)
Emeritus Professor of 20th c. US History Neil Wynn pays tribute after the singer and activist’s death this week. “There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, there’s a hole in my bucket …” So began one of…
‘The Past is Not Dead’ – Confronting the British Past in the wake of Black Lives Matter
Recent events have really put our discipline on the front pages. The Black Lives Matter protests which have swept across the United States and Europe following the brutal murder of George Floyd, have seen statues of controversial historical figures being…
‘I Can’t Breathe’ – Race Conflict in the USA 2020
For American historians, and particularly those who focus on African American history and civil rights, the feelings felt in the last six days are a mixture of sorrow, anger, .. and also déjà vu. How often in the past have…
Discovering the Blues: honouring the work of Paul Oliver
On Friday 7th February, I took part in an event entitled ‘Discovering the Blues: Paul Oliver and the Blues’, held at Oxford Brookes University as part of the Thinking Human Festival. The event was held to commemorate the work of…
The Challenge of Building a National Museum
On Tuesday 25th June I attended the 24th Annual DW Bryant Lecture at the Eccles Centre for American Studies in the British Library. This year’s speaker was Lonnie G Bunch III, the director of the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of…
Christian O’Connell receives International History Review Research Award
The history blog has been relatively quiet of late, somewhat reflective of the busy marking period that characterises May and June of the academic year. However, I’m happy to break the radio silence by reporting the welcome news that I’ve…
The Long Song of Democracy, Freedom and Slavery
This post comes from Dr Catherine Bateson, a lecturer and tutor of US history, specializing in 19th century American history, Civil War history, and Irish American musical culture. She is the Vice Chair of the Scottish Association for the Study of…
The Dean of Blues Scholars: Remembering Paul Oliver (1927-2017)
On Monday 14th August, Paul Oliver – the world’s most prolific writer and most respected blues scholar – passed away in Oxfordshire at the age of 90. Scores of blues historians, researchers, enthusiasts and musicians are paying tribute to his…