Overview
Why Study History?: How do we know what we know? Who is in and out of the Historical Narrative?
Overview:
As novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie points out, "Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories." Despite this acknowledgement, an argument can still be made that the history of the United States – and its colonial origins - has been impacted from the use of a "single story," perspective especially in terms of who and what has been included and excluded in the telling of the nation's origin story. When a “single story” becomes the standard norm, especially in history, there is a tendency “to describe the overly simplistic and sometimes false perceptions we form about individuals, groups, or countries.” Consequently, this view “is offensive” as it “reduce[s] an individual [event, nation, etc.] to a category,” which “is also misleading (Facing History).” So, as this class begins, I would like for us to take a moment and consider how a one-side perception or completely lack thereof in the historical narrative can impact our own understanding and views of history.
Directions:
For this short assignment, there are two tasks to complete. First, you need to watch the following videos:
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk (18 minutes 34 seconds)from July 2009, in which Adichie introduces the concept of "The Danger of a Single Story" that reflect the role that stereotypes play in daily life and society today.
- The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors (12 minute and 20 second documentary), which offers an introduction to the history of Indigenous enslavement that stretched from Alaska into South America that predated and helped shape the system of African enslavement in New England, and it lasted until throughout the 19th century in the West.
Both videos are posted below. After you watch the two videos, please answer the questions posted in the prompt. Your responses can be written as a short answer response to each individual question rather than a full essay response.
Requirements:
- Responses must be written in complete sentences to be considered for full marks.
- There is no minimum or maximum word limit for this assignment.
- Simple in-text citations such as (Adichie) and/or (Forgotten) should be used when you are directly quoting from the videos.
- Double check for grammar and spelling.
- Remember this is your own interpretation of the materials you have watched, so use of the first person is acceptable.
Prompt: Each question is worth 5 points for a total of 15 points.
- Name three surprising/interesting takeaways you learned from watching the videos, “Danger of a Single Story” and The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors.
- How can history help to dispel and combat the single-story narrative?
- What could we learn about ourselves and society at large, when we are more inclusive with the telling of the historical narrative?
First Video: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s "Danger of a Single Story" TED Talk
Second Video: The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors