Whiteness in Relation: Black Studies and the Racializing Assemblages of the Antebellum South

Author(s): Matthew Greer

Year: 2023

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Deepening Archaeology's Engagement with Black Studies" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

For decades, Black Studies scholars have provided powerful, far-ranging critiques of the concept of race and the processes of racialization. Yet, when applied to archaeological case studies, these concepts are often only used to discuss the lives of Africans and their diasporic descendants. However, as Black Studies scholars point out, their work also applies to whiteness and Indigeneity—creating a multifaceted set of theories that archaeologists can use when discussing racialization writ large. Drawing on Édouard Glissant’s concept of “relation” and Alexander Weheliye’s discussions of racializing assemblages, this paper applies Black Studies scholars’ perspectives on race to the study of whiteness in the Antebellum South, showing new areas where archaeologists can engage with Black Studies.

Cite this Record

Whiteness in Relation: Black Studies and the Racializing Assemblages of the Antebellum South. Matthew Greer. Presented at The 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2023 ( tDAR id: 474041)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -93.735; min lat: 24.847 ; max long: -73.389; max lat: 39.572 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36336.0