Suchergebnisse

In May and June 1943, a photographer with the American Office of War Information (OWI) photographed West African men who he identified as 'witch doctors' engaging in masquerade dances dedicated to water spirits. However, rather than the typical aquatic-themed headgear, these 'witch doctors' wore model planes – reproductions of British, French, and American aircraft. The photographs and their captions constructed a narrative of a 'new ju-ju', in which an indigenous community incorporated model aircraft into their traditional masquerades in order to reflect upon and support the power of Allied armies, which had supplanted their previous notions of spiritual power. However, despite their absurd and over-contrived captions, these photos were never published, demonstrating that the narrative of 'new ju-ju' was too complex to fit within the standard propagandistic narrative of widespread Allied support. This fascinating story provides insight into how indigenous communities in Nigeria coped with massive societal changes throughout the Second World War period, reveals the constructed narratives of American wartime propaganda, and, overall, demonstrates the uncontrollable nature of photographs as sources that insist upon revealing distinctive forms of agency and telling their own stories.

Casa de Esperanza (Casa) is an influential domestic violence organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. Upon examining the changes that have occurred within the organization since its inception, we have struggled with returning to the original mission of addressing domestic violence only in the Latino/a community or remaining an agency that serves women from diverse backgrounds. Casa has decided to remain an organization dedicated to serving women from diverse backgrounds, but will now place the community, rather than the individual, at the center of the organization. Within the next ten years, Casa will shift from providing direct social services to working toward broader social change. Specific changes include phasing out direct services, mobilizing communities to fight violence against women as it intersects with other forms of violence, and advocating for legislative change.