By Eve Wright
Eve Wright presents her research at the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama. Antisemitism is often called “the longest hatred,” yet few of us have a knowledge of it that extends beyond Nazi Germany and the Second World War. Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to take a semester-long class on the prejudice and discrimination that has faced Jews throughout their history, I leapt at the chance.
The class, which was taught by five experts across the state of Alabama, considered the history of antisemitism from the medieval period to present. We were introduced to a range of sources, including plays, films, and historical documents, which we analyzed prior to class and on a discussion board, allowing for more comprehensive discussions in our weekly seminars. The opportunity to have five professors with expertise in various areas allowed for a class experience which I have not had before. Each professor employed a different teaching style, which kept the class engaging and vibrant.
As an exchange student from England majoring in American and Canadian Studies, I found the latter weeks the most fascinating as they focused heavily on antisemitism in the United States. Most notable for me was the consideration of the relationship between African Americans and the Jewish community, which led me to write my final research paper on whether Jewish-Americans earned or chose their whiteness and how this affected Antisemitism in the African American community in the latter half of the twentieth century.
The class culminated in a conference held in Montgomery, Alabama, with each student giving a 15-minute presentation on the research paper they had written for the class. Topics ranged from contemporary antisemitic conspiracy theories and how they are rooted in historic anti-Jewish tropes to Jewish-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages. This opportunity was extremely exciting for me as an exchange student, given my home university does not offer such team-taught opportunities.
This class truly changed me as a student. It pushed me to critically approach sources in a way that I had not before, whilst building my confidence in my own knowledge and work.
Eve Wright is an exchange student and American & Canadian Studies major from University of Nottingham, UK.
