Making the Invisible Visible or How Culture History Can Have An Impact

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper treats Archaeology as an exercise in revitalizing social memory. In it we detail the current development of the Anthropology degree program at Medgar Evers College CUNY. Emphasizing anthropology and archaeology as a means to promote the underrepresented narratives of marginal groups in the Americas, the program also provides the knowledge required to work within contexts that deal with historically charged cultural dynamics and tensions. Focusing on global citizenship and social justice, Medgar Evers Anthropology engages with its student body to promote a critical evaluation of culture historical phenomena, focusing on heritage, preservation, and the integration of research with sustainable practices in urban and rural settings. We present outcomes from the recent implementation of introductory level classes, special presentations on Latinx and Afro-Latinx identity and the introduction of archaeology classes designed to reach students that may not explicitly pursue archaeology as a profession, but use it to promote productive public discourse. Basic knowledge of the cultural history of New York City and beyond has had significant impact on the perception of shared memory and spaces. This counters the often pejorative view of culture history which overlooks its usefulness as a means to recapture and reintegrate obscured identity and memory.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26128