submitted by adamo@augsburg.edu
Medieval history was long taught as a narrative of white Europeans, even though the historical sources—literary and visual—suggested a more complex demographic. Scholars of the medieval period avoided terms like racism, a 19th-century construct, and seemed to suggest that without the term, nothing like racism could exist.
In fall of 2016, students in HIS 440, Race & Ethnicity in the Middle Ages, examined the range of racial and ethnic identities in the Middle Ages, and how medieval Europeans interacted with them. As a final project, they created a “pop-up museum” on this subject, designed to spur dialog about how racial perceptions of the past relate to our own times.
The exhibit, “Race & Ethnicity in the Middle Ages,” is in the second-floor “link” area of Lindell Library. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, January 26 from 4 to 5 PM. Students will be on hand to discuss their posters. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.