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Race and Greek Mythology: An Analysis of a Racialized Hierarchy in Literary and Artistic Depictions of the Line of Io in Archaic and Classical Greece
Full text linkFollowing the emergence of the Greek alphabet in 8th century B.C.E, Greece produced literary works which demonstrated contemporary beliefs, customs, and practices. Additionally, pottery during this era began to be more expressive. The use of geometric shapes and imagery from Egypt were later used to create stories and induce emotions in pottery. Following the Archaic period, the Classical era has produced a plethora of literary and artistic material that expands on material from the Archaic era while simultaneously providing commentary on its own period. While not in a consistent manner, an underlying theme within the art and literature of the Archaic and Classical period is race. But can the term ‘race’ be used in the context of antiquity? Scholars such as Frank M. Snowden Jr believe modern notions of race should not be used within the context of antiquity. Others may extend this belief and state that the ancients were ethnocentric rather than racist.
Nonetheless, race was an important feature within ancient Greek society as it was used as a distinction between those who were Greek and non-Greek. The change in the ethnic and racial background of characters such as Princess Andromeda and King Cepheus demonstrate contradictory narratives that explore racism\u27s role and its influence. My current source material demonstrates a gradual whitening of figures such as the Danaids and Andromeda. On the other hand, Heracles presents a portrayal which contrasts his typical presentations. Some mythological figures like Andromeda may be Ethiopian in origin but are depicted as mixed race by one artist or writer and be depicted as white by another. This conflicting attitude, primarily seen in Classical literature and art, demonstrates the rise ethnic and racial prejudice within Ancient Greek society. My undergraduate thesis aims to illuminate how the conflicting depictions of race in figures such as the Danaids, Perseus, Princess Andromeda, and Heracles can represent the relationship between race, racism, and mythology in Ancient Greece. Through the evidence found in the research process, this thesis demonstrates that in place of their African ancestry, the portrayals of the aforementioned figures become increasingly associated with Persia or are Hellenized. Simultaneously, race and ethnicity diverge to accommodate to these depictions creating an increasingly stratified hierarchy which places Black people at the lowest tier
Agitational Activism: Maria W. Stewart’s Case for Black Independence, 1832-1833
Full text linkLocated at 28 Cambridge Street in Boston, the African Masonic Hall served as the meeting place for the African Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and the African Humane Society. The former, the nation’s first black masonic lodge, was founded in 1775 to foster black unity, advocate for abolition, and fight colonization efforts through masonic fraternal tradition. Similarly, the African Humane Society, also called the African Society, was founded in 1796 and used similar fraternal practices to provide medical and funeral expenses for its members. Being African fraternal societies, both groups restricted their membership to black men. Located in Beacon Hill less than one mile from the African Meeting House, the “[b]irthplace of the New England Anti Slavery Society,” the African Masonic Hall was at the heart of Boston’s 19th century antislavery movement.3 On February 27, 1833, however, the masculinity, fraternity, and black liberation efforts upon which its tenants founded and prided themselves were challenged in a speech by a young black widow from Connecticut
Black Symbols: From the Civil Rights Movement to Now
Full text linkhttps://digitalcommons.providence.edu/his_bls_347_zines/1012/thumbnail.jp
COINTELPRO\u27S Assassination of Fred Hampton
Full text linkhttps://digitalcommons.providence.edu/his_bls_347_zines/1009/thumbnail.jp
Incarceration as New Jim Crow
Full text linkhttps://digitalcommons.providence.edu/his_bls_347_zines/1000/thumbnail.jp
Iberoamericana Vervuert: 50, 1975-2025, Poster, Inside Back Cover
No full textIberoamericana Vervuert: 50, 1975-2025. Cartel conmemorativo de los 50 años. INTI No. 101-102, Primavera - Otoño 2025, Inside Back Cover.https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/inti_gallery/1633/thumbnail.jp