Lomuto, Sierra. "Antiracism or Appropriation?: Performing Diversity Work in Medieval Studies." Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/performing-diversity-work-in-medieval-studies. [Date accessed].

Performing diversity work in medieval studies

Reimagining medieval studies beyond traditional periodization to challenge the ontology of whiteness.

Download the transcript
Sierra Lomuto
Rowan University

Antiracism or Appropriation?: Performing Diversity Work in Medieval Studies | Watch the full talk

Presented by Sierra Lomuto at Appropriations: A RaceB4Race Symposium in 2020

Sierra Lomuto examines the field of medieval studies and how it privileges whiteness in knowledge production. She argues that whiteness is a structure that informs the engagement of nationalist hate groups and liberal academia with the Middle Ages despite the differences and opposition between the two. However, Lomuto contends that the Global Medieval/Early Globalities as a methodology can open up current structures and create a spacetime beyond Europe and beyond traditional periodization that can challenge the ontology of whiteness.

Further learning

Recommended

Syllabus

Race in the premodern world

In this class, Mayte Green-Mercado guides students through premodern origins of the construction of race and the consequences it carries today.

Mayte Green-Mercado
RaceB4Race Highlight

What is premodern critical race studies?

Margo Hendricks offers her insights into what exactly premodern critical race studies is (especially in comparison to premodern race studies), and what it means to be a practitioner within this field.

Margo Hendricks
Video

Titus Andronicus as the gateway drug

Students believe they know what Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet or Macbeth mean, but rarely do those “meanings” stem from the students’ close engagements with the texts. Using Titus Andronicus at the beginning of any Shakespeare class forces students to experience Shakespeare anew.

Ayanna Thompson