In March of 2014 Slate published a piece titled, Kick Andrew Jackson Off the $20 Bill!, which argued, among other things, that Jackson's ties to slavery and his involvement with the Indian Removal Act make him a problematic choice as a national symbol. "His face on our money implies an honor that Jackson’s legacy doesn't deserve. Worse, it obscures the horrors of his presidency...But this issue isn't merely cosmetic, or a nod to political correctness. Symbolic change and practical change have a symbiotic relationship. By confronting and correcting the symbols of our violent and racist histories, we prompt conversations about how that legacy continues to affect marginalized communities today" (Keenan, 2014). The issue has been raised again recently, as the group "Women on $20s" tries to generate support for their mission, "to generate an overwhelming people's mandate for a new $20 bill , to be issued in time for the 100th anniversary in 2020 of the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote." These new bills would, you guessed it, feature the face of an historically important leading lady. Check out the list of candidates and read more on the campaign from the Washington Post or The New Yorker. One might argue that repeated exposure to Andrew Jackson's face inures us to the crimes he committed. But, history of genocide aside, it is curious to consider what our every day exposure to masculine symbols on our most utilized bank notes teaches us without our consent. Psychologically, we are socialized to recognize patterns "spoon-fed" to us by our cultures. We internalize these associations in what we see and hear throughout our lives. Researchers call this priming - we hear a word or see an image which activates a web of associations (thoughts, feelings, beliefs etc.) that past experience has taught us to pair with that word/image. (A brief on priming and prejudice here). So, what does repeated exposure to everyday currency paired with masculine models prime? Such reflection certainly gives us hints about who and what is deserving of honor and respect and what counts as success. And likewise, what exists in the silence constructed by the absence of such pairings for women?
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This May I traveled, with two good friends and colleagues, along the Northern (and Southern) most route(s) of the Trail of Tears (1838-39). The historical trail and markers trace the forced removal and relocation of the Cherokee peoples from their lands to those assigned them, west of the Mississippi River. Over the course of a week, we traveled from the state of Georgia to Tahlequah, Oklahoma (the Capital of the Cherokee Nation) and back again. Narrative to follow... Pair Visual Journey With: This American Life, Episode 107: Trail of Tears (July 1998) And these words from my grandmother, after I told her about my trip: "I never liked Andrew Jackson anyways!" Part truth, part hyperbole - because history is always more complex than simply good and evil, love and hate. And for a further reminder that memory and place are complicated, apparently one can get married at The Hermitage, former home of President Andrew Jackson (and 150 of his slaves). From the knot. To be fair, the grounds are very beautiful. More on the shared space of beauty and suffering later. |
DESCRIPTIONThis 'Blog' highlights varied research endeavors. Where noted, entries are written by my students, themselves.
AuthorCAITLIN O. MAHONEY, PhD. Categories
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