DOCSLIB.ORG

"I Cried out and None but Jesus Heard!" Prophetic Pedagogy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2005 "I Cried Out and None but Jesus Heard!" prophetic pedagogy: the spirituality and religious lives of three nineteenth century African-American women Elecia Brown Lathon Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Lathon, Elecia Brown, ""I Cried Out and None but Jesus Heard!" prophetic pedagogy: the spirituality and religious lives of three nineteenth century African-American women" (2005). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 3120. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/3120 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. “I CRIED OUT AND NONE BUT JESUS HEARD!” PROPHETIC PEDAGOGY THE SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS LIVES OF THREE NINETEENTH CENTURY AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Curriculum and Instruction By Elecia Brown Lathon B.S., Southern University, 1993 M.Ed., Louisiana State University, 1996 Ed.S., Louisiana State University, 2002 December 2005 ©Copyright 2005 Elecia Brown Lathon All Rights Reserved ii For my mother Laverne S. Brown, my inspiration, my friend and my first teacher iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All that I am and all that I ever hope to be I owe it all to thee. To God be the glory for the things He has done. I have been humbled, enlightened and inspired throughout this process. The women that I chose to study have opened my eyes to new and exciting spaces that I would never have dreamed of inhabiting. The radical nature, commitment to the call and the devout desire to do the will of God that each of these women exhibited has encouraged me to continue my journey and to follow my dreams. I have been strengthened mentally and spiritually. So I thank Maria Stewart, Julia Foote and Zilpha Elaw for their spiritual legacy and their amazing strength. For they have truly become my “Sisters of the Spirit” (William Andrews). I would like to acknowledge my major professor, Dr. Petra Munro Hendry. Thank you for your comments, your feedback, your guidance and for helping me learn how to “think outside of the box.” All of these things significantly enhanced the quality of my work. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have you as my major advisor throughout this process. Thank you for providing the understanding and support that only a quintessential scholar and major advisor can provide. Thanks for your unwavering confidence in me. When I thought I couldn’t climb a hill, you made me feel like I could climb a mountain. A special thank you to Dr. Earl H. Cheek, Jr., who worked with me from day one. You always had time for me even in the midst of your busy schedule. I can’t tell you how much your support and encouragement has meant to me. Thanks for always being there. To my committee members: Dr. Leonard Moore, Dr. Joyce Jackson, Dr. James Byo, and Dr. Earl H. Cheek, Jr., the kindness and support of each is beyond words. I am extremely blessed to have had the privilege of their presence and knowledge in assisting me throughout the doctoral process. iv As I thank the many people who have helped me I shiver at the thought of leaving someone out. “Please charge it to my head and not to my heart.” A special thank you to Kelly McFatter, Ms. Lois Stewart, and Ms. Joyce Stevenson. You guys have been wonderful. I know I worried you a lot but not once did you complain. I will forever be in your debt. To my mother, an educator of forty plus years, who instilled in me the value of education at an early age. I admire her for her tenacity, her energy, and most of all her spirituality. You have been a role model and inspiration to all of your children. I thank God for you and your love. Thank you for taking care of me and my little ones while I completed this project. To my dad, George Brown, Jr., thanks for keeping me laughing and for always being confident that I would finish one day. To my brothers and sisters, Evangelynn Clark, Chandralynn Livous, Elton Brown, Sr., Calvin Brown, Sr., and Rodney Brown: you guys are incredible. Thanks for putting up with me and my moods throughout this process, but most of all thanks for your support and encouragement. I would like to thank my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Barbara and Eddie Ray Lathon for their support and encouragement throughout this process. My only regret is that my mother- in-law is not with us to see the completion of this project. In the midst of her illness she called and encouraged me. She always asked how things were going. I thank her for that. I know she would have been proud. Mr. Eddie Ray, keep the faith and know that weepin may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. To my friends and “sisters of the spirit”, Chapreca Fields and Paulette Johnson, Thanks for being my friends. It has really meant a lot to have you in my corner throughout my writing. I v can’t say thank you enough for the many times you called to check on me, and for the many times you just listened to me vent. Your friendship is a gift from God. Sandra Compton, Denise Ned, Latoya Stickman and Hazel Stickman, to you I say thanks for checking on me to make sure that I didn’t “crack up.” I really appreciate you looking out for me and my family. To Dorian McCoy and Gwen Jackson, thanks for your friendship and listening ear. You guys are the best. I couldn’t have done it without you. To my classmate Donna Porsche-Frilot, thanks for introducing me to Maria Stewart. Together we can continue to recover the lost lives of African-American women religious. I look forward to the challenge. A special thanks to Mr. Mike Mallet at the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes. Thanks so much for your encouragement assistance, support and for always making me smile. I owe you. To my students past and present (SU and LSU), I thank you for helping me envision all that I could be. Thanks for helping me to realize what my gifts are and what I have been called to do. To my children who were born in the midst of my doctoral work : Derrek (three years) and Elise Leigh Ann (4 months). Thanks for putting up with mommy. You are the best kids a mother could ask for. Your smiles helped keep me grounded and focused throughout this process. I love you! Hope, Debra, Ms. Nora, Ms. Diana, Ms. Aleatha, Ms. Barbara, Ms. Joyce, Ms. Audrey, Ms. Pat, Ms. Debbie, Ms. Sharon, Ms. Alicia, Ms. Shawn and Ms. Liz, thanks for taking good care of my babies. I prayed for the best to care for my little ones and that’s exactly what God sent me. vi To my husband, and best friend, Derrek Sr., who so willingly sacrificed to make sure that this project came to fruition. My research became a part of your life. You never fussed or complained. You always encouraged me and you always told me that I could do it. Thanks for your spirituality, for pushing me, and for being the wonderful husband that you are. I love you and I thank you. Special thanks to the New Pilgrim Baptist Church and the New Hope Baptist Church for nurturing my budding spirituality many years ago. Finally, I would like to thank my pastor, Isaiah J. Webster and his wife, Louise Webster. The two of you have been wonderful to me and my family. Pastor Webster, thanks for the books. I can’t thank you enough. To Sunday school class #8, thanks for your prayers. Thanks to Ms. Charlotte Anderson for your assistance, Dr. Charles Vincent for suggested readings, Mother Jackson for taking time to talk to me about old negro spirituals and the old church and the Greater New Guide Church family for your love and support. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ...............................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Woman’s Rights ................................................................................................................... 1 To Prophesy or Not to Prophesy: That Was the Question .................................................. 3 Spiritual Influence............................................................................................................... 7 Prophetic Experiences......................................................................................................... 8 Spirituality Defined........................................................................................................... 11 Resistance, Survival and Empowerment........................................................................... 13 Agency, Activism and Spirituality.................................................................................... 17 Understanding Curriculum...............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Female Preaching in Early Nineteenth-Century America by Catherine A
    20 Copyright 2009 The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University Female Preaching in Early Nineteenth-Century America BY CATHERINE A. BREKUS In the Second Great Awakening more than one hundred women crisscrossed the country as itinerant preachers, holding meetings in barns, schools, or outside in fields. They were the first group of women to speak publicly in America. Why have virtually all of them been forgotten? ome argued that she was “bold and shameless,” a disgrace to her fami- ly and to the evangelical movement. Others insisted that she was the S“instrument of God,” a humble woman who had given up everything for Christ. Few women in early nineteenth-century America provoked more admi- ration, criticism, and controversy than Harriet Livermore. She was the daughter of a congressman and the grand-daughter of a senator, but after an emotional conversion experience, she renounced her privileged life in order to become a female preacher. Reputed to be a gifted evangelist who was also a beautiful singer, she became so popular that she was allowed to preach in front of Congress four times between 1827 and 1844, each time to huge crowds. According to a Washington newspaper, more than a thousand people assembled in the Hall of Representatives to hear her preach in 1827, and hundreds more gathered outside to catch a glimpse of her. President John Quincy Adams had to sit on the steps leading up to her feet because he could not find a free chair. Harriet Livermore was the best-known female preacher of her day, but she was part of a larger community of evangelical women, both white and African-American, who claimed to have been divinely inspired to preach Female Preaching in Early Nineteenth-Century America 21 the gospel.
    [Show full text]
  • A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY of RELIGION in AMERICA
    A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY of RELIGION in AMERICA To 1877 THIRD EDITION Edited by Edwin S. Gaustad with revisions by Mark A. Noll WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN / CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Contents Preface to the Third Edition xvii Preface to the Second Edition xviii Preface to the First Edition xix Illustrations xxii Acknowledgments xxiv CHAPTER ONE The Old World and the New I 1. Natural Religion 9 Ceremonies 9 Hopi 9 Zuni 12 Chinook \ 14 Kwakiutl 15 Myths (things believed) 17 Tsimshian 17 Pima 20 Cherokee 21 Zwwf 23 2. New Spain 24 Ponce de Leon 24 Bartholomew de Las Casas and Sublimis Deus 25 Dominicans in Florida 26 Vll viii Contents Pedro Menendez de Avil6s and the Jesuits 28 Franciscans and Indian Revolt 29 Franciscans in New Mexico 31 3. New France 34 French Views of Native Americans 34 Advice to those "whom it shall please God to call to New France" 36 Brebeuf's Instructions to Missionaries 38 Martyrdom of Isaac Jogues, S.J. 39 New France Proclaimed 41 4. New Netherland and New Sweden 43 Jonas Michaelius 43 Johannes Megapolensis and the Mohawks 45 Megapolensis and the Jews 47 Megapolensis and Isaac Jogues 47 John Printz of New Sweden 49 Dutch Surrender 51 5. England Anew 54 Virginia 54 John Rolfe and Pocahantas 54 Anti-Catholicism 57 Church Establishment 58 Virginia's Cure 59 Massachusetts 63' Reasons for Removal: The Pilgrims 63 Persuading London 65 Reasons for Removal: The Puritans 66 A Modell of Christian Charity 67 Puritan Poets 69 Special Cases: Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania 72 Maryland and Roman Catholics 72 English America's First Mass 75 Rhode Island and the Baptists 77 Pennsylvania and the Quakers 80 Penn and Liberty of Conscience 81 Contents ix The English and the Indian 83 Indian Missions in Massachusetts 83 King Philip's War 85 William Penri and the Indians _ .
    [Show full text]
  • Selected Highlights of Women's History
    Selected Highlights of Women’s History United States & Connecticut 1773 to 2015 The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women omen have made many contributions, large and Wsmall, to the history of our state and our nation. Although their accomplishments are too often left un- recorded, women deserve to take their rightful place in the annals of achievement in politics, science and inven- Our tion, medicine, the armed forces, the arts, athletics, and h philanthropy. 40t While this is by no means a complete history, this book attempts to remedy the obscurity to which too many Year women have been relegated. It presents highlights of Connecticut women’s achievements since 1773, and in- cludes entries from notable moments in women’s history nationally. With this edition, as the PCSW celebrates the 40th anniversary of its founding in 1973, we invite you to explore the many ways women have shaped, and continue to shape, our state. Edited and designed by Christine Palm, Communications Director This project was originally created under the direction of Barbara Potopowitz with assistance from Christa Allard. It was updated on the following dates by PCSW’s interns: January, 2003 by Melissa Griswold, Salem College February, 2004 by Nicole Graf, University of Connecticut February, 2005 by Sarah Hoyle, Trinity College November, 2005 by Elizabeth Silverio, St. Joseph’s College July, 2006 by Allison Bloom, Vassar College August, 2007 by Michelle Hodge, Smith College January, 2013 by Andrea Sanders, University of Connecticut Information contained in this book was culled from many sources, including (but not limited to): The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's History Is Everywhere: 10 Ideas for Celebrating in Communities
    Women’s History is Everywhere: 10 Ideas for Celebrating In Communities A How-To Community Handbook Prepared by The President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History “Just think of the ideas, the inventions, the social movements that have so dramatically altered our society. Now, many of those movements and ideas we can trace to our own founding, our founding documents: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And we can then follow those ideas as they move toward Seneca Falls, where 150 years ago, women struggled to articulate what their rights should be. From women’s struggle to gain the right to vote to gaining the access that we needed in the halls of academia, to pursuing the jobs and business opportunities we were qualified for, to competing on the field of sports, we have seen many breathtaking changes. Whether we know the names of the women who have done these acts because they stand in history, or we see them in the television or the newspaper coverage, we know that for everyone whose name we know there are countless women who are engaged every day in the ordinary, but remarkable, acts of citizenship.” —- Hillary Rodham Clinton, March 15, 1999 Women’s History is Everywhere: 10 Ideas for Celebrating In Communities A How-To Community Handbook prepared by the President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History Commission Co-Chairs: Ann Lewis and Beth Newburger Commission Members: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, J. Michael Cook, Dr. Barbara Goldsmith, LaDonna Harris, Gloria Johnson, Dr. Elaine Kim, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Defending the 2520
    Defending the 2520 “The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5 page 81 The above warning should weigh heavily on our minds during these final hours we spend here on this earth. We are called over and over again, in the Bible and the inspired writings of Ellen G. White, to study the word of God for ourselves but sadly we live in a world of ease and entertainment and little time is devoted to personal study. “We are to receive the word of God as supreme authority. We must accept its truths for ourselves, as our own individual act.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychotherapy with Seventh-Day Adventists
    PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH SEVENTH0DAY ADVENTISTS CAROLE A. RAYBURN The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses. -Ellen G. White The Seventh-day Adventist Church dates from the Millerite move- ment of the mid-1800s. Conservative on most matters of morality and ethics, it is one of the few Christian denominations to have begun in North America. Also, it is one of the few denominations to have a woman as one of its founders. With its belief in the Protestant tradition, Seventh- day Adventism has conservative standards and practices concerning dress, dietary habits, abstinence from sex outside marriage, smoking and drinking alcohol, and in selection of certain types of entertainment. The 1998 Yearbook published by the General Conference of Seventh- day Adventists notes that the worldwide membership of the Church is 9,470,718 people and 4,682 churches. With 865,187 members in North America, the largest concentration of Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) is in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. The second largest con- centration is in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and the third largest in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Ohio. A smaller number of SDAs reside in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and Bermuda (General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1998). 21 1 The world conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the General Con- ference, is in Silver Spring, Maryland. The General Conference president meets with and advises church leaders from the 12 divisions of the Church (such as the North American Division), unions (made up of conferences or fields within a larger territory), and local conferences (comprised of churches within various cities).
    [Show full text]
  • Sermon – Matthew 27:55-61 – “Can I Get a Witness?”
    Sermon – Matthew 27:55-61 – “Can I Get a Witness?” The text this morning is a small part of a much longer text that is the reading of the day in the lectionary I use, which is based on the principle of lectio continua. It could be a familiar one, because it is part of the passion narrative from the gospel of Matthew, one of the church’s accounts of the betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, which covers the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and because that text comes up in the revised common lectionary every three years as one of the readings for Palm Sunday, and because the RCL is used by many pastors and churches – so it could be very familiar, but on the other hand, because the full narrative is 128 verses long, and because it takes about 12 and a half minutes to read, and because of the constraints of the typical Sunday worship service, especially on Palm Sunday, wouldn’t normally allow for a reading that long, and because the RCL’s suggestion for a shorter passion narrative leaves this part of the story out, it could easily happen that this part of the text would never be read in a church, so it could be a decidedly unfamiliar text. Whether or not it is familiar, it is a detail of that larger story, and I hope we can approach it in that spirit this morning, the way we might consider a detail from a larger work of art with some special interest, or the way we might return again and again to a particular facet of a memory that has been important to us.
    [Show full text]
  • Livingbyfaith-Print.Pdf
    Two men stood side by side on a dock one day, peering Otherwise, there’s no way you can navigate through today out into the broad ocean. One looked out and said, “I see a and make it to tomorrow! ship!” The other guy turned his gaze in the same direction and declared, “There’s no ship out there.” “Yes there is,” the first man insisted. “Look,” his friend countered, “I just had an eye exam. I’ve got perfect twenty-twenty vision and I’m telling you, I don’t see a ship.” “Take my word for it. There is a ship.” “How can you be so sure?” the second man asked, squinting hard as he looked out to sea. “I see it clearly through my binoculars.” Your Perspective To a great degree, living a successful Christian life is a No Turning Back matter of perspective. The clarity of your vision can make all the difference and sharp-sightedness often depends on The writer found himself addressing a most perplexing the focusing power of the lens you are using. problem. He was faced with a congregation of people who were contemplating quitting the Christian faith. Even distant images can be brought into crystal clarity with They were considering throwing in the towel because the right optics. In the same way, if we look at our lives they were no longer sure that following the path was through the lens of Scripture, we might discover an ocean worth the pain. They thought that it might just be too liner we failed to notice earlier.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Emmy® Award Nominations
    2019 Emmy® Award Nominations 1A: Newscast - Morning (4:00am - 1pm) - Larger Markets (1-49) Good Morning Washington at 5am: Nationals Win! WJLA Jessica Glasser, Senior Producer Paige Gilmore, Editor Kristi Maryott, Director Kristen Powers, Reporter Ted Marschall, Producer The Snowstorm of 2019 WRC Constance Howard, Executive Producer Alexandra Fruin, Producer Dylan Shue, Producer Jason Johnson, Director Timothy Saul, Technical Director Aaron Gilchrist, Anchor Melissa Mollet, Traffic Anchor Chuck Bell, Meteorologist Eun Yang, Anchor Molette Green, Reporter Adam Tuss, Reporter Nicholas Leimbach, Photographer Arun Raman, Content Producer Brandon Benavides, Content Producer Natasha Copeland, Assignment Editor Brittany Roembach, Content Producer 1B: Newscast - Morning (4:00am - 1pm) - Medium Market (50+) 12 News Today WWBT Anthony Antoine, Anchor Andrew Freiden, Meteorologist Candice Smith, Traffic Anchor Michael Pegram, Producer Andrina Cason, Executive Producer Sarah Bloom, Anchor Olivia Ugino, Reporter David Perdue, Director Victoria Doss, Producer Sean Van Damme, Editor Alex Whittler, Reporter 62nd Emmy Awards – August 8th www.capitalemmys.tv - 1 - 2019 Emmy® Award Nominations Dorian's path of destruction WTVR Alexandra Sosik, Producer Jaclyn Groves, Editor 2A: Newscast - Daytime (1pm - 8pm) - Larger Market (1-49) 11 News at 6:00: Death of Rep. Elijah Cummings WBAL Charles Richardson, Producer Mike Gantt, Director Deadly Shootout WBFF Dominique Johnson, Producer News4 at 6: Governor Under Fire WRC Adam Jacobs, Producer Anthony Mague, Executive
    [Show full text]
  • Can I Get a Witness? by Daniel E
    Journal of the Kansas Association for Justice 13 u CIVIL LITIGATION Can I Get A Witness? by Daniel E. Monnat & Paige A. Nichols Mr. Monnat is a partner in the law Television police series love witnesses: the witness,3 a declaration that the firm of Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, in tearful mothers, addled addicts, and witness is unavailable for the purpose of Wichita, Kan. He practices in the area of double-dealers all make for exciting admitting the witness’s hearsay,4 or criminal defense. Mr. Monnat received investigation scenes and high drama in enforcement of the subpoena through his undergraduate degree from California the courtroom. But what about the the court’s bench warrant5 or contempt6 State University, San Francisco, and his boring bits that lawyers in criminal powers. But the district court may be law degree from Creighton University. cases have to handle in-between unwilling or unable to remedy a interviewing the witnesses and witness’s absence if the subpoena was Ms. Nichols is a solo practitioner in examining them on the stand? unenforceable in the first place.7 Two Lawrence, Kan. She practices in the area Subpoenaing witnesses, calculating mistakes lawyers sometimes make in of criminal defense. Ms. Nichols received witness reimbursements, and parsing subpoenaing witnesses are failing to her undergraduate degree from Kansas sequestration orders never seem to make reissue subpoenas when a hearing date is State University and her law degree from it into the script. But they are frequently continued and failing to use the Northeastern University. a part of our script here in the real world appropriate method for subpoenaing of criminal-trial practice, and getting out-of-state witnesses.
    [Show full text]
  • Geena Clonan
    Malta House of Care Geena Clonan: Founding President of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame In 1993, while working as the Managing Director of the Connecticut Forum, Geena Clonan of Fairfield realized there was a gaping hole in our state – namely, there was no organization or venue that collectively celebrated the achievements of the many, many Connecticut women who had made groundbreaking contribu- tions locally, nationally, and internationally. After consulting with the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca, NY, Geena and her team set about changing that, and in May 1994, established the Connecti- cut Women’s Hall of Fame. Since then, 115 women representing eight different disciplines have been inducted into the Hall – women like Gov. Ella Grasso, opera singer Marian Anderson, Mohegan anthropologist Gladys Tantaquidgeon, and abolitionist Prudence Crandall, to name just a few. In November 2017, three wom- en who have distinguished themselves in law enforcement and military service will be inducted. Their stories, and those of the other inductees, are beautifully told in the “Virtual Hall” on the organization’s web site. Under Geena’s 20+-year leadership as Founding President, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame re- mained true to its mission “to honor publicly the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their sto- ries, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls.” Says Geena: “It has been personally rewarding and one of my proudest pursuits in community service to tell, through the Connecticut
    [Show full text]
  • “Can I Get a Witness": Musicians Performing Politics in the U.S. Congress Published on Ethnomusicology Review (
    “Can I Get a Witness": Musicians Performing Politics in the U.S. Congress Published on Ethnomusicology Review (https://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu) “Can I Get a Witness": Musicians Performing Politics in the U.S. Congress By Alexandra Apolloni, Matthew D. Atkinson, and Darin DeWitt Abstract: In this paper, we use both interpretive methods from ethnomusicology, musicology and performance studies, and empirical methods from the social sciences, to examine the performative nature and political influence of testimonies by high-profile or celebrity musicians at hearings in the United States Congress. We argue that in testifying, musicians can both influence politics and engage in a very public performance of self, one that contributes to audience acceptance of the credibility and authenticity of their musical performances. The purported truthfulness of their testimony also raises ethical dimensions. We ask: if testifying entails giving voice to truth, whose truths do these testimonies give voice to, and whose do they silence? To explore this question, we first ask how musicians’ testimonies create meaning as performances of self that might shape how people hear music. Then, we ask how these performances both give voice and create silences—first, by considering how they position music vis-à-vis attitudes about the political process and U.S. exceptionalism; and second, by asking how musician testimonies relate to power dynamics within the U.S. popular music industry. We then offer a theoretical model that outlines the likely consequences of musician participation in the political process, and finally, we evaluate empirical implications of our model, which suggest that musician participation makes a measurable impact on public perception of a musician’s persona or star text.
    [Show full text]