On "Black Monsters": Providence, Allegory, and Race-making

Owing to the current Campus Access Level, all prospective attendees must register by 4PM on September 18. Registration will automatically close at that time.

On "Black Monsters": Providence, Allegory, and Race-making

Lecture by
Chaired by

This lecture introduces a persistent and pernicious line of thought in the textual culture of Reformation England, whereby black Africans were constituted as legible signs (and explicitly 'monsters') created for the admonition of white Christian observers. By examining the tenuous justifications for and practical applications of this designation, the lecture delineates the mechanics of one form of early modern race-making, as well as articulating the centrality of theology (and, in particular, providence) to thinking about human difference in the period.

The Society of Fellows hosts the Thursday Lecture Series (TLS), which runs regularly throughout the academic year. During the Fall Semester TLS, our Fellows present their own work, chaired by Columbia faculty.

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Host or Publisher The Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities