American Studies students receive national recognition for outstanding essays
Two students on the University of Manchester青瓜视频檚 American Studies programme have claimed the top awards in the British Association for American Studies national essay writing competition.
Final-year History and American Studies student Anya Carr was named winner of the British Association for American Studies undergraduate essay award, and Xavi Goodall, a third-year student currently studying at Rutgers University in New Jersey, received an honourable mention in the same competition. Both students were honoured as part of the BAAS award ceremony, which took place in June this year.
Anya青瓜视频檚 essay offered a sparkling account of the African American actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson青瓜视频檚 1949 visit to Manchester. The project used Robeson青瓜视频檚 brief trip to lens the local and global agendas that came together in this moment, as civil rights, decolonization, and the Cold War intermingled, and as various groups competed around Moss Side, Chorlton-on-Medlock, and Belle Vue to win Robeson青瓜视频檚 support. The project argued that we should think of the city of Manchester as akin to 青瓜视频榯he global activist hubs of London, Paris, and Harlem青瓜视频� that other scholars have written about, and it made an innovative attempt to 青瓜视频榞round the global in the local, and to offer a new perspective on the complex interplay between the Red, white, and Black Atlantics.青瓜视频� A short blog post that Anya wrote describing the research .
The BAAS judges 青瓜视频渨ere incredibly impressed by this well-argued essay青瓜视频� which 青瓜视频渟ituated Robeson within intersecting contexts青瓜视频� and which 青瓜视频渉ighlighted the complexities of post-war organising and solidarity.青瓜视频� Anya青瓜视频檚 work drew extensively on the University青瓜视频檚 US newspaper holdings, as well as materials at the , the People青瓜视频檚 History Museum archive, and the Working Class Movement Library and Archive, in Salford.
Xavi Goodall青瓜视频檚 essay looked at references to American writer Harriet Beecher Stowe青瓜视频檚 novel Uncle Tom青瓜视频檚 Cabin (1851-52) in The Century Magazine, America青瓜视频檚 most popular periodical in the late nineteenth century. Xavi uncovered a handful of references to Stowe青瓜视频檚 novel between the 1880s and late 1890s, and used these to show that, while Stowe青瓜视频檚 novel exerted a lasting influence on American opinions about slavery, The Century Magazine seldom discussed the literary merits of Stowe青瓜视频檚 work or offered a neutral account of her politics. As Xavi argued, 青瓜视频楿ncle Tom青瓜视频檚 Cabin青瓜视频檚 appearances in The Century were defined more by the magazine青瓜视频檚 context than the book青瓜视频檚 contents.青瓜视频� The judges described the piece as 青瓜视频渁 beautifully written and accomplished essay,青瓜视频� and thought Xavi青瓜视频檚 青瓜视频渃areful and detailed analysis of The Century magazine青瓜视频檚 complex engagement with Stowe was very strong.青瓜视频�
Both students青瓜视频� essays were developed and written within second-year American Studies modules. Xavi青瓜视频檚 work on Stowe began in Dr. Gordon Fraser青瓜视频檚 AMER22662 Uncle Tom青瓜视频檚 Cabin as Global Media Event, while Anya青瓜视频檚 study on Robeson was written in Dr. Andrew Fearnley青瓜视频檚 AMER20022 US History Long Essay module. Each project made use of the printed and electronic resources held by the University, and the physical archives available around the city of Manchester.