Board
Note
President Nancy Locke
Vice President Allison Leigh
Secretary Nancy Karrels
Treasurer Nicole Georgopulos
Membership Coordinator Theresa Cunningham
Program Chair Michelle Foa
Newsletter Editor Kara Shier
Co-Managing Editor of Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide: Petra ten-Doesschate Chu
At-Large Board Members Daniella Berman, Gloria Groom, Britany Salsbury, Andrew Shelton
Past Presidents Peter Trippi, Patricia Mainardi, Gabriel P. Weisberg, Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, Elizabeth C. Mansfield
The Board of the Association for Historians of Nineteenth-Century Art strongly condemns the increasing acts of violence perpetrated against the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the United States and beyond. The ruthless murders of Soon Chung Park, Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Xiaojie Tan—and countless other victims of recent attacks—are yet another staggering reminder that xenophobia never sleeps. The increase in harassment, threats, and hate crimes against the AAPI communities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is rooted in a much longer history of bigotry and violence with which we must contend.
Much of the history of anti-Asian prejudice in the US took root in the nineteenth century. The Los Angeles massacre of 1871 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 were the culmination of decades of racialized violence, and their legacies continue to be felt today. As historians of this period, it falls to us to shed light on the dark corners of the nineteenth century and its cultural production, to tell the truth about topics that remain underexamined in our field. AHNCA is actively working to counter these silences and gaps in the art historical record, as well as to address the geographical imbalance of our field and the whitewashing of art history.
So too does this moment recall us to our duties as historians and educators: to consider and counter the role of misinformation and scare tactics in fueling bigotry and ignorance. Teaching— whether in the classroom or elsewhere—remains our most immediate avenue for engaging with these issues and countering the biases that are inherent to the methodologies of our field.
We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community. We acknowledge our responsibility to do more to stand up against the ignorance, hatred, and violence wrought by white supremacy, and to root it out within our own organization, institutions, and lives.
The Board has expressed its solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and has called attention to several educational resources in this area.
It’s hard to fathom the horrific violence of George Floyd’s murder, or the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. Today, we are all confronted with the legacy of some of the oldest problems the United States has never resolved – problems around race, inequality, and police brutality – and we affirm our commitment to a society that respects the dignity of all people. We are deeply saddened by recent events, which challenge some of our most basic values, and we feel compassion for those who suffer at the hands of racist and unequal treatment.
Black Lives Matter, and the Association of Historians of Nineteenth-Century Art stands in solidarity with those calling for justice for George Floyd and an end to police brutality. AHNCA’s social media team is participating in #BlackOutTuesday and will stay on top of other initiatives yet to come.
In times of political and social unrest, art helps us process a seemingly senseless world. Whether it’s Edmonia Lewis’s sculpture, Forever Free, Henry Ossawa Tanner's moving and spiritual paintings, or Aaron Douglas's powerful murals for the Works Progress Administration, art has found ways throughout history to turn horror and pain into positive action. As a community, AHNCA encourages all persons to look deeply within themselves to bring forth creative expression that counteracts injustice, violence, and oppression wherever they see it. This is our call to action.
We plan to use this crisis as an occasion to renew our commitment to diversify the field of nineteenth-century art history. As our colleagues at the Association of Historians of American Art have noted, this is more than a question of scholarship. It’s about the structural realities of our field. How do we bring new voices into the discipline, and support those who continue to be marginalized?
AHAA has helpfully called attention to several resources that are useful in this effort:
- Association for Critical Race Art History (ACRAH)
- LaTanya Autry's Social Justice and Museums Resource List
- ArtMuseumTeaching’s Museums Are Not Neutral
- National Museum of African American History & Culture’s Talking About Race
As we pursue this important work, we will continue to take solace in the extraordinary people who make up our field. It is all of you who give us hope that as a society we can and will do better.