Bud Shaw Lecturer Tiya Miles Illuminates Stories of Enslaved Black Women
An embroidered sack revealed untold stories of African American history to esteemed historian Tiya Miles. Miles discussed her research during Dickinson's 2021 Bud Shaw Lecture.
Award-winning historian delivers first virtual Bud Shaw Lecture
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Dickinson’s American-studies department was already thrilled to host Tiya Alicia Miles as the college's 2021 Bud Shaw Lecturer during the months leading up to her virtual visit to campus. An esteemed Harvard University historian and MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellow, Miles focuses on a timely and less-explored area of scholarship, after all. And during her virtual visit to Dickinson, students and professors would have a rare chance to ask questions about her work.
Then, soon before the big day, Miles made literary news, and the students and professors realized that her Dickinson lecture would be her first speaking engagement as the 2021 National Book Awardee. “That put us on cloud nine,” says Associate Professor of American Studies Cotten Seiler. “We could not feel more fortunate to host this superlative scholar at this moment in her already distinguished career.”
Founded in memory of prominent AIDS activist Donald “Bud” Shaw ‘80, who earned an American-studies degree at Dickinson, the Bud Shaw Lecture brings distinguished scholars, artists and activists to campus to speak about their work and offer feedback to students completing their American-studies senior-thesis projects. It is just one of the Dickinson named lectures that connect students with established and emerging experts and thought leaders throughout the academic year. Miles' scholarship focuses on the histories of African Americans, indigenous Americans and women—work of especially keen interest during the current moment, and work that also resonates with Dickinson's commitment to leadership in diversity and inclusion.
During her Bud Shaw lecture, Miles shared images of an 1850s archival object she'd studied and used it to illuminate the histories and traditions of enslaved Black women. The object was a large, durable sack filled with emergency supplies and given by a South Carolina mother, Rose, to her young daughter, Ashley, prior to Ashley's removal from home and sale into slavery. In Miles' hands, this simple family heirloom, embroidered in 1921 by Ashley's granddaughter, helps scholars better understand the ways that enslaved Black women found ways to safeguard loved ones' health and wellbeing.
Associate Professor of American Studies Darren Lone Fight, second from left, poses with students enrolled in his current senior seminar. Earlier, the students discussed their thesis projects with esteemed visiting historian Tiya Alicia Miles.
American-studies majors in the class of 2022 came into that lecture with plenty of context at their command. As members of Assistant Professor of American Studies Darren Lone Fight's 2021-22 senior seminar, they'd already read Miles' journal on the subject and absorbed one of her prior lectures. The students also had a chance to discuss their senior research with Miles when Miles virtually visited their class.
Imogene Gross ’22 appreciated both opportunities to connect. She says Miles expanded her idea what a historical source can be, provided insight into the academic research and writing processes and opened her eyes to the ways that chance findings—like Miles' unexpected discovery of "Ashley's sack"—can lead scholars new research topics. Seeing and hearing the scholar's passion for her work made those lessons all the more riveting.
“Experiences like these give Dickinson students a chance to engage with new scholarship as it is presented by the scholars themselves. There’s a certain immediacy to that,” Gross explains. “These opportunities can give Dickinson students a chance to be inspired and see the possibilities for their own careers—and maybe, one day, be featured in a similar lecture.”
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Published December 9, 2021