January 29, 2021: Women in Trousers: From Bloomers to Le Smoking

The Office of Cultural Affairs invites you to view a virtual presentation with Dr. Victoria Pass, Assistant Professor of Visual Culture at Maryland Institute of Art and co-author of “Design History Beyond the Canon”. The lecture explores the long history of the ways that women wearing trousers was seen as political act and policed at various historical moments–during WWI and WWII, on television, and the senate floor. This event was hosted live on January 29, 2021. This lecture was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. About the Speaker: Victoria Rose Pass is a specialist in Visual Culture, particularly in areas of design and fashion. She is an Assistant Professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art where she teaches courses in Design History and Visual Culture. Her research considers the history of fashion culture in the 20th and focuses specifically on issues of gender and race. She recently co-edited the book Design Beyond the Canon with Jennifer Kauffman-Buhler and Christopher Wilson published by Bloomsbury in February 2019.

December 17, 2020: Women’s Activism Beyond 2020: A Virtual Panel Discussion

Office of Cultural Affairs hosted the free and virtual panel Women’s Activism for 2020 & Beyond that featured several scholar-activists. Moderated by Dr. Devin Heyward (St. Peter’s University, Director of Gender and Sexuality Studies), the panel will discussed themes and issues surrounding women’s activism in 2020 and beyond.

Moderated by: Dr. Devin Heyward, St. Peters University

Arita Balaram, Ro(u)ted By Our Stories: Silenced Indo-Caribbean Voices Speak

Loren Cahill, CUNY Graduate Center, Critical Social Personality Environmental Psychology Program, Institute for Research on the Africa Diasporas in the Americas and the Caribbean & Schomburg Center for Research on Black Culture

Marlene Nava Ramos, Doctoral Candidate, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geography), CUNY Graduate Center Member, Critical Resistance NYC

Sonia Sanchez, The Graduate Center – CUNY

In partnership with the New Jersey Council on the Humanities

February 20, 2020: Black Women, Black Power & The Ballot; Perspectives from the Radical 60s

This lecture analyzes the role of African American women as leaders in the movement for political rights for African Americans in the long 1960s. Starting with women who were involved in the political campaigns that led to the passage of the voting rights act in 1965, it will center on the women who were inspired by the radical call for Black Power to move towards political advocacy in local communities all around the country. From participating in school boards to mayors offices to third party campaigns to Congressional office to presidential politics, Black women have led the way in redefining electoral politics in America.

January 9, 2020: Panel Discussion on Black Jersey City, 1630-Now 

Join us for a conversation on Black history & legacy of Jersey City, in conjunction with the on-view archival exhibition, “Stories of Black Jersey City, 1630-Present”. On the panel is Deborah Hairston (Co-Curator, Saint Peter’s University) Deedee Roberts (Afro-American Historical Society Museum), Dr. John Johnson (Assistant Professor of History St. Peters University) & Daoud-David Williams (Community Activist, Organizer of African-American Festival).

August 22, 2019: Immigrant State: Jersey’s Influential Gate 

New Jersey has a big story about immigration, packed into a small state. Many may not immediately think of New Jersey, but it is a gateway state that holds an important part of America’s immigration history. Immigrant histories in Jersey have been and continue to be distinct by region and in comparison to the rest of the country. Considering and learning more about what this means can lead to more informed communities. Through the examination of film clips, texts, and media coverage, participants will have a candid discussion about issues that are being examined and debated, nationally and in local communities, by many today.

November 15, 2018: Beyond Bathrooms & Binaries

Hosted by Hudson Pride Center. Beyond Bathrooms & Binaries is a program for creating change at a policy level for transgender individuals facing challenges in public life. Join us for a special presentation hosted by Dr. Kiki Jamieson as well as community discussion where we will explore why labels, pronouns, and gender categories are so complex and important.

December 6, 2018: Newark Avenue: Jersey City’s Avenue to the Revolution

Newark Avenue was a vital escape route during the American Revolution for the Patriot cause. The road connected vital supply routes for General George Washington and his allies. Brian Murray, local historian, will discuss the road’s importance to the American Revolution and the development of the road after the Revolution to modern day Jersey City.

October 25, 2018: Washington Irving & The Legend of Jersey City

Washington Irving is best known for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” but did you know that some of his short stories were set in Jersey City? Luke Boyd, presenter at The Past Personified, will do a dramatic reading of “Guests From Gibbet Island”, one of Irving’s ghost tales that takes place in modern-day Jersey City. David Goodwin, author and trustee at the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, will provide analysis of the piece and speak about Washington Irving’s connection to Jersey City.

September 25, 2018: Dempsey V. Carpentier: Jersey City’s Million Dollar Fight
It was dubbed the “Fight of the Century.” Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight champion, defending his title against Georges Carpentier, World War I Hero. The match was historic for its prize of $1 million, a first in boxing promotion, and revolutionized sports coverage by an emerging technology known as the radio. Henry Hascup, President of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame and Boxing Historian, will chronicle why Jersey City was chosen as the venue for the championship bout, how the fight changed boxing promotion and the fight’s career impact for Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier.

September 13, 2018: The Lenape Indians: Jersey City’s Original Inhabitants
Thousands of years before the first Dutch Settlers arrive to modern-day Jersey City, the Lenape Indian tribe called this land their home. The Lenape Indian tribe had developed their own culture, customs, kinship systems, language, and trade. Andrea Proctor, Resource Interpretive Specialist and Historian at Waterloo Village Historic Site, will lecture about the tribe’s history, importance to early New Jersey, and showcase artifacts from the tribe found from excavations at Waterloo Village.

August 14, 2018: Paulus Hook: Jersey City in the American Revolution
The Battle of Paulus Hook was a daring nighttime raid to recapture a British fort in modern-day Jersey City during the American Revolution. General George Washington approved the raid, but when the Americans arrived at the fort, most of the British and their allies had left. In a unique twist, Dr. Richard Winant will examine the Battle from the British perspective on why they left the fort, the battle’s build up, and subsequent aftermath on the American Revolution.

May 10, 2018: UrbEx101: Investigating Abandoned New Jersey
A special lecture with historian Luke Boyd, as part of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Public Scholars Project on urban exploration, or UrbEx. So much can be learned from the abandoned spaces in our city, including the ethical aspects of UrbEx.

April 24, 2018: A Geographers View of Jersey City
Using old maps, presenter Luke Schray will show how specific places in Jersey City and Hudson County reveal clues to the forces that shaped them and the land features that have disappeared or are difficult to discern after centuries of human intervention. The talk will cover the surprising ways in which landmarks, ranging from Dickinson High School to the Embankment structure to McGinley Square, call our attention to episodes of change that shaped not only Jersey City but also the United States and the earth itself.

March 28, 2018: Peace Be Still: Marching in the Footsteps of the Drum Major
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1968 speech at Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church in Jersey City, St. Peter’s University Professor of History Dr. John Wesley Johnson delivers a lecture reflecting on the impact of King’s visit to Jersey City, his role within the Civil Rights Movement in the North, the Poor People’s Campaign, and the lasting effects of King’s legacy within our community.

March 22, 2018: Learning New Jersey One Building at a Time
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy and the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs presented the lecture “Learning New Jersey…One Building at a Time” with Gabrielle Esperdy at the historic Apple Tree House. The lecture focused on the aesthetics, cultural and economic perspectives, and values and meaning behind New Jersey’s ever-changing landscape.

February 2, 2018: Springsteen & His Layered Lyrics
Bruce Springsteen expects attentiveness of his listeners. How do we know this? Over the past 50 years, Springsteen has written songs and created music that have been experienced by countless fans. But many don’t know the extent to which his work has been influenced by the American folk tradition. Through experimental reinterpretation and the creation of new traditions, The Boss has worked within known folk traditions, but at the same time, created new sounds and messages. In this session, participants can learn about some of the works that have influenced one of Jersey’s most celebrated musical artists.