UWA Logo What's On at UWA
   UWA HomeProspective Students  | Current Students  | Staff  | Alumni  | Visitors  | About  |     Search UWA    for      
 

PUBLIC TALK: An African-American feminist visits Perth in 1960: who she met, what she saw, what she said, and what she wore

* Login to add events... *
Today's date is Thursday, March 28, 2024
An African-American feminist visits Perth in 1960: who she met, what she saw, what she said, and what she wore Other events...
Keynote Address by Emerita Professor Ann Curthoys, chaired by Wesfarmers Chair of Australian History, Professor Jane Lydon

In December 1960, Eslanda Robeson visited Perth with her famous husband, singer and actor Paul Robeson. She gave several press and radio interviews, and spoke to university students, a Peace Council reception, and to the Union of Australian women, including Aboriginal women. In these talks, she consistently emphasised the role of women in international struggles for racial equality and peace. Newspaper interviews often emphasised her appearance, contrasting her tiny physique with Paul's huge powerful figure, and portraying her as sparkling and dynamic. Although no-one in Australia knew it at the time, she was recovering from extensive radiotherapy for several cancers, and died from breast cancer in New York five years later. In the book Ann Curthoys is writing on the Robesons' visit to Australia in 1960, the Perth visit is the subject of the last chapter, bringing together issues of women’s rights; Aboriginal rights; health, illness and celebrity; and the meaning of peace in the Cold War.

Ann Curthoys is a historian who writes about Australian history in a transnational and imperial frame and about questions of history, theory, and writing. In addition to many essays and co-edited essay collections on topics ranging from women's historical writing to the 'Cold War, her books include For and Against Feminism' (1988); 'Freedom Ride: A Freedomrider Remembers' (2002); (with John Docker) 'Is History Fiction?' (2005); (with Ann Genovese and Alexander Reilly), 'Rights and Redemption: History, Law, and Indigenous People' (2008), and (with Ann McGrath), 'How to Write History that People Want to Read' (2009). Her latest book is (with Jessie Mitchell), 'Taking Liberty: Indigenous Rights and Settler Self-Government in the Australian Colonies, 1830 - 1890' (2018). She is an emeritus professor at ANU, and an honorary professor at The University of Western Australia and the University of Sydney.

This public event is part of the annual Australian Women's History Network symposium 'The Female Frame: Biopolitics and Wellbeing in Australian and Global Perspective’, being held at The University of Western Australia on 2nd October 2019. It is supported by the UWA School of Humanities, the UWA Institute of Advanced Studies, the UWA Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Location Alexander Lecture Theatre, UWA Arts Building
Contact Institute of Advanced Studies <[email protected]> : 6488 1340
URL http://www.ias.uwa.edu.au/lectures/femaleframe
Start Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:30
End Wed, 02 Oct 2019 17:50
RSVP RSVP is required.
Submitted by Audrey Barton <[email protected]>
Last Updated Thu, 19 Sep 2019 12:37
Included in the following Calendars:
Additional Information:
  • Locations of venues on the Crawley and Nedlands campuses are available via the Campus Maps website.
  • Download this event as: Text | iCalendar
  • Mail this event:

Top of Page
© 2001-2010  The University of Western Australia
Questions? Mail [email protected]