Great piece. The only building designed by Thomas Jefferson that was ever torn down at UVA was the anatomy theater, where they regularly dissected bodies of Black people stolen from graveyards. Jefferson and UVA have a sordid history in terms of actually applying their own principles of freedom and liberty, but in this case, even they couldn't keep up the charade.
What the Hell? This is a long shot, but I hope some of these entities are planning to do some of their DEI work undercover or under a different name. As a historian, this action by the Smithsonian is deeply troubling.
You’ve highlighted a really important part of our history, which isn’t limited to the Smithsonian. However, most anthropologists today mark Franz Boas as the father of American anthropology, whose evolution into an anti-racist scholar shaped generations of students thru his teaching at Columbia (such as Margaret Mead, Alfred Kroeber and others). Although involved initially in some of the problematic activities of the time, Boas turned away from them and forged a new path. As a German of Jewish faith, he had fled anti-Semitism and resettled in NY. Hrdlicka and similarly-minded scholars at U Penn and elsewhere continued their racist and eugenicist studies thru the 40s but ultimately found themselves disproven and discarded by modern science. Please read Lee Baker’s work and others. Keep up the good work.
Great piece. The only building designed by Thomas Jefferson that was ever torn down at UVA was the anatomy theater, where they regularly dissected bodies of Black people stolen from graveyards. Jefferson and UVA have a sordid history in terms of actually applying their own principles of freedom and liberty, but in this case, even they couldn't keep up the charade.
Glad they took it down but this is still all so so terrible
What the Hell? This is a long shot, but I hope some of these entities are planning to do some of their DEI work undercover or under a different name. As a historian, this action by the Smithsonian is deeply troubling.
Wait this is huge
Wow. Wow.
Ok, you've already taught me two things I didn't know. I'm subscribing. Keep up the good work.
Great post!
You’ve highlighted a really important part of our history, which isn’t limited to the Smithsonian. However, most anthropologists today mark Franz Boas as the father of American anthropology, whose evolution into an anti-racist scholar shaped generations of students thru his teaching at Columbia (such as Margaret Mead, Alfred Kroeber and others). Although involved initially in some of the problematic activities of the time, Boas turned away from them and forged a new path. As a German of Jewish faith, he had fled anti-Semitism and resettled in NY. Hrdlicka and similarly-minded scholars at U Penn and elsewhere continued their racist and eugenicist studies thru the 40s but ultimately found themselves disproven and discarded by modern science. Please read Lee Baker’s work and others. Keep up the good work.