An overlooked cultural artifact exhibited
On Nov. 30, the Black Studies Program hosted a audio-visual exhibit that highlighted an overlooked cultural artifact–the church fan.
The exhibit was created with the collaboration of Howard Rambsy, chair of black studies and associate professor of English language and literature, and the research of Candice Jackson, assistant professor of English language and literature.
“Professor of (English language and) literature Candice Love Jackson initially began observing hand fans in order to understand a bygone era of black church experience,” explained Rambsy. “But her efforts developed into a larger investigation about the ways that church and advertising fans served as cultural artifacts that documented racial and social histories in America.”
The exhibit featured a range of hand fans from Jackson’s personal collection along with Jackson’s commentary.
According to Rambsy, Jackson’s comments expressed how some of the fans project African-American pride, while others display disturbing racist ideologies.
Filed Under: Black Studies • News
