Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Tobin Shearer
Faculty Mentor’s Department
African-American Studies
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Despite the significant study of western history and African-American migration throughout the United States, until recent years the experience of African Americans in the West has gone largely untold. This is especially true in regards to African-American women and their contribution to western communities. Through a detailed historical analysis, this paper will identify some of the important African-American women in Montana’s past, shedding light on their experiences and main contributions. The essay leans on reputable primary and secondary sources including applications to the National Register of Historic Places, census data, and the writings of historians such as Dr. Quintard Taylor. I argue that African-American women played a crucial role in the creation and cultivation of African-American communities throughout Montana. Through the organization and mobilization of social groups, participation in social and political change, and by capitalizing on economic opportunities, African-American women were able to challenge western social norms and create lasting change that we can see across Montana today. These women were able to uplift the entirety of their community, generating improvements that are being celebrating in current times. Because of the near invisibility of these women in the historic record, it is paramount their contributions be studied, recognized, and appreciated today.
Category
Humanities
African-American Women in Montana Oral Presentation
African-American Women in Montana
Despite the significant study of western history and African-American migration throughout the United States, until recent years the experience of African Americans in the West has gone largely untold. This is especially true in regards to African-American women and their contribution to western communities. Through a detailed historical analysis, this paper will identify some of the important African-American women in Montana’s past, shedding light on their experiences and main contributions. The essay leans on reputable primary and secondary sources including applications to the National Register of Historic Places, census data, and the writings of historians such as Dr. Quintard Taylor. I argue that African-American women played a crucial role in the creation and cultivation of African-American communities throughout Montana. Through the organization and mobilization of social groups, participation in social and political change, and by capitalizing on economic opportunities, African-American women were able to challenge western social norms and create lasting change that we can see across Montana today. These women were able to uplift the entirety of their community, generating improvements that are being celebrating in current times. Because of the near invisibility of these women in the historic record, it is paramount their contributions be studied, recognized, and appreciated today.