By Emily Lugg (’23) If drugs are a war, many policy analysts and public health experts would argue that America is losing on all fronts. As Nicholas Kristof notes in his 2017 opinion piece “How to Win the War on Drugs,” despite the fact the American criminal justice system dedicated billions of dollars over theContinue reading “Winning the War on Drugs: A Case for the Portuguese Policy Model”
Author Archives: ndamstamericana
“Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” and “Bad Feminism,” Less Antithetical than They Appear But Still Mismatched
By Mannion McGinley (’23) “The Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” Audre Lorde. “I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all,” Roxanne Gay. At first glance and out of context from their readings, these two quotes seem to only be at odds with each other. Lorde’s titular claim impliesContinue reading ““Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” and “Bad Feminism,” Less Antithetical than They Appear But Still Mismatched”
The Raven and the Light: A Violation of Story-Telling Sovereignty
By Aidan Gordley (’24) Nigerian novelist and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie did justice to the art of storytelling when she wrote, “Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower and humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a culture. But stories can alsoContinue reading “The Raven and the Light: A Violation of Story-Telling Sovereignty”
Intervention as a Spectrum: Results from Independent Research in Cali, Colombia
By Irla Atanda (’21) According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 6 million Venezuelans have fled their home country since 2014, after Nicolás Maduro succeeded longtime Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For the past six years, the Maduro regime has been responsible for violatingContinue reading “Intervention as a Spectrum: Results from Independent Research in Cali, Colombia”
Debating Gender Roles: The Contested History of “Biblical Womanhood” in Evangelical Discourse
By Kiara Schmidt (’23) Introduction While many scholars have argued that the phrase biblical womanhood has a long history dating to the sixteenth century, I argue it largely emerged as a response to the feminist movement of the 1960s. It was promoted by various influential texts, from Marabel Morgan’s, The Total Woman in 1973 toContinue reading “Debating Gender Roles: The Contested History of “Biblical Womanhood” in Evangelical Discourse”
The Cultural Association of Air Force 1’s
By: Paige Jenkins (’25) Nike’s Air Force 1 (AF1), the iconic low-top all-white sneaker, shifted from a potential flop to a classic staple in American fashion. The original version of the shoe was created in 1982 by Bruce Kilgore as a high top with a single colorway of white and neutral gray. The iconic all-whiteContinue reading “The Cultural Association of Air Force 1’s”
The Closing Act: Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” as a Non-Violent Protest
By Lauren Kelley (’22) When Jimi Hendrix performed “The Star Spangled Banner” with screeches and static at the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, it was considered by some to be “a hate-filled guitar solo”(Clague, 461). In the year leading up to the festival, the national anthem had become a staple in music icon’s setlist and hisContinue reading “The Closing Act: Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” as a Non-Violent Protest”
Coca-Cola and Capitalism: An American Mythology
By Hailey Oppenlander (’22) Coca-Cola is refreshing and bright, cool to the tongue. It is presented in a variety of situations and packages: in a nostalgic glass bottle; in a can that satisfyingly clicks as you pop the tab, still dripping after being pulled out of a cooler on a blistering summer day; or inContinue reading “Coca-Cola and Capitalism: An American Mythology”
Environmental Justice in Detroit: Michigan’s most polluted zip code, 48217
By Clark Doman (‘23) and Francesca Schena (‘23) Clarkston Doman is an American Studies and Economics major. Francesca Schena is a Computer Science major. Their project was originally created for Professor Katie Walden’s American Studies course ‘Data Feminism.’
The Black Athlete as Laborer and Civil Rights Advocate
By Margaret Borgos (’22) Sports and athletic competitions are inextricably connected to political landscapes. The 1968 Mexico City Olympics were no exception. Black athletes fought for their labor and civil rights both inside and outside of sport at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. An iconic photo immortalized American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. TheyContinue reading “The Black Athlete as Laborer and Civil Rights Advocate“
Americana 