Workshop - From the lion’s mouth: The Writer as Historical Witness with Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Description: "Until the lions have their historians,” so goes an African proverb, “tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Why do we “remember the Alamo” as a point of pride, when American troops in a land grab for Texas were roundly defeated by the Mexican Army? Why do some believe Rosa Parks sat down when she was tired, rather than because of her long history of activism? Black people were all kings and queens in the distant past...there were Irish slaves in the Americas...Enslaved domestics were fawning lackeys, while field workers were brave and rebellious.These are some of the received narratives that often circulate unchallenged. Historical writing not only calls for an accurate portrayal of the past, but an active effort to correct the misconceptions and biases that “hunters” –and sometimes the lions themselves--have inscribed into the historical record.

This cross-genre workshop will address methods of critical inquiry,…