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Because America never forgot
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On March 11, 1944, my relative 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr. and 10 other crew members of a B-24 bomber named “Heaven Can Wait” were declared missing in action after being shot down somewhere over the waters of Hansa Bay, Papua New Guinea. For our family, as for so many families […]
Book explores experimental filmmaking in Latin America and Spain, from Super 8 to cell phones
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Experimental and amateur filmmakers are expanding cinema by using new technologies, such as cell phones and virtual reality, and through increasing globalization of the distribution of their work. Eduardo Ledesma, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Spanish professor, examined how experimental filmmakers in Latin America and Spain use alternative film formats in his […]
How can digital technology contribute to human flourishing?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign philosophy professor John Schwenkler is the director of the new Illinois Forum on Human Flourishing in a Digital Age, housed in the philosophy department. The forum — which offers an undergraduate course, graduate fellowships, a speaker series and seminars — aims to examine the challenges and opportunities of living in a […]
What are the historical precedents for consumer activism, economic blackouts?
Champaign, Ill. — The Feb. 28 “economic blackout” — in which consumers were encouraged not to spend any money for 24 hours — may have gone viral on social media, but what effect did it have in real life? Emily E. LB. Twarog is a professor of labor and employment relations and the co-director of […]
Poetry book looks at how people create a sense of place for themselves
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English professor Janice Harrington examines the natural world, the histories of Black residents in the Midwest and how people create a sense of place for themselves in her most recent book of poetry, “Yard Show.” The book was on the longlist for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle […]
Book recounts history of critical race theory
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new book by rhetoric and history scholars examines the origins of critical race theory in legal studies. The movement is an area of legal scholarship that seeks to understand the relationship between race and racism and the law and other societal institutions in the U.S., the authors said. It is highly […]
Biography examines spiritual wellness work of political activist Ericka Huggins
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Political activist and educator Ericka Huggins used spiritual wellness practices to cope with imprisonment and racial oppression. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of African American studies Mary Frances Phillips wrote about Huggins and how her wellness practices and political work were deeply entwined. Her new book, “Black Panther Woman: The Political and […]
New book shows how literature of extreme poverty provides stirring view of the Great Depression
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The literature of extreme poverty during the Great Depression offered an aesthetic that matched the hopelessness and isolation of the unemployed and those living on the street. Robert Dale Parker, a professor emeritus of English at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, examines what he calls “the poetics of the stiff” — the […]
English professor’s novel tells of love triangle in post-WWII Paris, based on his family history
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new novel by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English professor David Wright Faladé tells the story of three people in a love triangle in post-World War II Paris. The characters in “The New Internationals” — a young French woman who has survived the Holocaust, a university student from West Africa and a […]
Study: Civil organizing persisted during Syrian civil war
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Where, when and how did civilians organize during the Syrian civil war that started in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011 and lasted until the toppling of President Bashar Assad in late 2024? According to new research co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political scientist, civil organizing persisted during […]
Paris research trip reconnects Native American tribes with historic painted robes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Robert Morrissey traveled to a Paris museum in November to see four ceremonial robes created more than 300 years ago by Native American tribes in Illinois. The research trip included members of the Miami and Peoria Nations and it was part of a collaborative project, “Reclaiming […]
Illinois history professor awarded NEH Fellowship
Kristin Hoganson has been awarded a 2024 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship.