Mixed Race Studies

Scholarly perspectives on the mixed race experience.

Well, I’ve always joked that it was channeled to me. [Be]cause it was very easy. But it was after talking, just talking with people. That’s what people told me. So I wrote it down. You know, I organized, wrote it down. It was really given to me by the people. And that’s why I’ve always said it’s for anybody’s public use. It’s not mine. I don’t own that. So, there’s no great story behind it, other than this is what people were sharing with me, with their stories when I go to mixed family groups, or conferences, or just talking with people individually. It all came out of that. I didn’t make a single piece of that up myself.

—Maria P. P. Root describing the creation of her “The Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage”.

“Episode 113 – Dr. Maria P. P. Root,” Mixed Chicks Chat, August 7, 2009, (00:22:31 – 00:23:22). http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-34257/TS-237195.mp3.

5 Shades of Pink: A Coerced Identity

Posted in Arts, Census/Demographics, History, Live Events, Media Archive, United States, Women on 2009-10-04 23:52Z by Steven

5 Shades of Pink: A Coerced Identity

In cooperation with The Graduate Association of Rhetoric and Performance Studies.
A Graduate Thesis Performance Exploring Biracial Identity in the 19th Century.

Monroe Lecture Center Theater
California Avenue, South Campus
Hofstra University
2009-03-19 19:30 (Local Time)

by Melissa J. Edwards
Hofstra University

This performance explores the influences of the 1859 play The Octoroon by Dion Boucicault, miscegenation laws, and the U.S. Census on biracial identity. All these factors are used in the analysis of the racial identity of [“Pinky”] Sally Maria Diggs, a 9-year-old girl whose freedom was purchased by the congregation [for $900 USD on 1860-02-05] of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, through the efforts of the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher and his associates. The performance is intended to educate and present the theories of social impact on racial identity while providing historical fact and content.

“Freedom Ring” by Eastman Johnson, from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1934-03-21, p. 1
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library

Tags: Henry Ward Beecher, Melissa Edwards, Melissa J. Edwards, miscegenation, Pinky, Sally Diggs, Sally Maria Diggs

Performing Bi- and Multi-Racial Identity

Posted in Identity Development/Psychology, Media Archive, Papers/Presentations, United States on 2009-10-04 23:31Z by Steven

Performing Bi- and Multi-Racial Identity

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual Convention, TBA
San Diego, California
2008-11-20

13 pages

Melissa J. Edwards
Hofstra University

Bi or Multi Racial identity is not clearly defined within American racial terms. This performative criticism of Kristen A. Renn’s study of college age students who identified themselves as biracial explains the historical, governmental, and social reasons for confusion or the lack of clarification of identity among this group. I explore this phenomenon through various theoretical analyses culminating with a written performance expressing the frustration of the students in this racial identity limbo.

Read the entire paper here.

Tags: Kristen A. Renn, Kristen Renn, Melissa J. Edwards

Mixed Race Studies

5 Shades of Pink: A Coerced Identity

Performing Bi- and Multi-Racial Identity

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