Professor Robert Bartlett of the EWU Sociology Department has been awarded an Artist Trust Grant for his Jumping Into the Fire. Bartlett’s work examines the story of the 555th Parachute Infantry Batallion.

Jumping Into Fire is a documentary that uncovers the hidden story of the only all African-American paratrooper unit in military history. Hidden stories like this one are part of a larger narrative about race and racism in this country. This grant will help bring this story to light.

By Vickie Shields

Michael Conlin, PhD, is a professor of history and current president of the United Faculty of Eastern (UFE). I recently caught up with Professor Conlin, to discuss his new book, One Nation Divided by Slavery: Remembering the American Revolution While Marching toward the Civil War.

VS: Why was it important for you to take on this subject matter at this time?

MC: The American Civil War still looms large in the national consciousness. Some of the issues it has raised still remain to be resolved, i.e., the discrimination and ill-treatment of African-American, and the places of liberty and race in our national identity. I was struck by the plasticity of nationalism and national identity in the antebellum (pre-Civil War) era of the United States. Both slaveholders and abolitionists claimed the mantle of the Founders and both groups did so perfectly legitimately. 

VS: Why is our understanding of the period leading up to the Civil War important to understand in the context of the American Revolution?

MC: It demonstrates the centrality of slavery to American national identity right from the beginning and persisting in important ways up to the present day. The Founding Fathers bequeathed a mixed legacy to subsequent generations. On the one hand, they justified their rebellion against the British monarchy on the grounds of natural rights. They also took effective steps to limit and even ban slavery in some areas: e.g., the end of American participation in the Atlantic slave trade in 1808, the prohibition of slavery in the Northwestern Territory in 1787, and the gradual abolition of slavery in the Northern states (1780 to 1803).

On the other hand, all 13 original states were slave states. Many of the political and military leaders of the United States were slaveholders. The new United States government took several steps designed to protect the right of certain Americans to own some of their fellow human beings, culminating in the various protections for slavery in the U.S. Constitution. This fundamental tension between liberty and oppression was present throughout the American Revolution and has persisted to the present day.

In the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s, white Southerners grounded their defense of slavery, which culminated in the secession and rebellion of 11 states in a perfectly legitimate understanding of the historical legacy of the American Revolution. At the same time, antislavery Northerners and enslaved Southerners advocated abolitionist measures hearkening back to same American Revolution.

VS: What did you discover about the contradictions inherent in our Founding Fathers, Washington, and Jefferson?

MC: Both Jefferson and Washington neatly personified this fundamental tension between liberty and slavery, between freedom and oppression. Jefferson was the author of several thoughtful denunciations of slavery. In the mid-19th century, Abolitionists used the stirring words from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, as well as his misgivings about slavery in Notes on the State of Virginia, to claim the mantle of the Sage of Monticello. Jefferson also took concrete antislavery actions as a statesman. Jefferson was largely responsible for keeping slavery out of the Northwest Territory via the Northwest Ordinance (1787) and Jefferson signed the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves in 1807. Washington freed his slaves at great cost to his heirs and privately expressed dismay with slavery.

At the same time, slaveholders in the mid-19th century claimed that Jefferson and Washington were one of them: a benevolent slave master who looked after his slaves in a paternalistic way. In fact, both Jefferson and Washington cruelly exploited the labor of their slaves complete with harsh punishments, chronic deprivations, and division of nuclear families by slave sales. Despite their high-minded public rhetoric and private misgivings, they profited handsomely from the misery of their slaves.  Of course, Jefferson also had a coerced sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. While Washington did manumit his slaves, he only did so after he had died so that he benefited from their labor for his entire life. Moreover, he did this privately. Had the Father of his Country freed his slaves in a public and noteworthy fashion his example would have been a powerful one for other slaveholders to follow. Lastly, Washington signed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 into law and hounded a fugitive slave, Ona Judge, to the fullest extent permitted by the law and then some.

In the end, the words and deeds of these two slaveholding Founders offered something for both opponents of and advocates for slavery in the mid-19th century to make use of when they argued about the place of slavery in their understandings of American national identity.

VS: Your book takes on the concept of “competing histories” and bias in memory of historical events. Why is this approach important?

MC: Historians are constantly revising history. Oscar Wilde famously said, “the one duty we have to history is to re-write it” and he was correct. History is not one grand narrative. Instead, it is a bunch of competing narratives that contradict each other (and sometimes themselves). I argue that the “history wars” of the 1840s and 1850s over slavery and the Founders is quite similar to the “history wars” fought in the 1990s and 2000s over the Enola Gay exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution or the recent brouhahas over Common Core and the AP history test. The act of remembering and misremembering (and forgetting) historical events is ongoing. What is included is important but what is left out is sometimes more important. It is important for us to remember that history is not dead and dusted. History is not static. It is alive and dynamic. I like to say that I and my colleagues in the EWU History Department “make history” every day.

VS: For fun, I am told you and Emeritus History Professor Dick Donley had the same doctoral advisor. Tell me about that.

MC: Dick Donley was one of Robert W. Johannsen’s first graduate students and I was one of his last. Our time at the University of Illinois was separated by 32 years! We both have fond memories of his mentorship and the University of Illinois library (the third largest academic library in the U.S.). Although I did not meet him until the end of my first quarter at EWU, we have become fast friends and good colleagues. Dick has kindly read One Nation Divided by Slavery and my current book project tentatively entitled Constitutional Conflict. Dick has a sharp eye for awkward syntax and a mastery of the historiography even as an emeritus professor. He is also is more gentle than our PhD advisor, who once returned a chapter of my dissertation with the comment “It reads like an encyclopedia article.” He did not mean that as a compliment!

Psychology Professor Russell Kolts is garnering international acclaim for his research in compassionate-based therapy for anger and other powerful human emotions. He is the author of The Compassionate Mind Approach to Managing Your Anger: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy and most recently, An Open-Hearted Life: Transformative Methods for Compassionate Living from a Clinical Psychologist and a Buddhist Nun, with Thubten Chodron.

Let’s face it. Over the past few years, the Chicano Education Program (CEP) at Eastern Washington University has experienced challenging transitions. Not only was the University facing lean times, but the director also resigned, an interim was named, and the federal funding for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) was not renewed.

They say when times get tough, it shows who your true friends are. Times were never tougher for institutions of higher education than between 2009-2012. EWU took huge state budget cuts and to make things worse, in spring 2012 we received word our CAMP grant that we had thrived on for 10 years would not be renewed. The CAMP grant made it possible for the Chicano Education program to be a bustling place with lots of staff and events, not just for CAMP students, but also for all Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o students at EWU.

Through transition, comes opportunity!  Opportunity to celebrate student success, opportunity to reapply for the CAMP funding once again, and opportunity to bring in new leadership that will poise EWU and the CEP to be the number one provider of higher education and services to Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o students in the State of Washington.

With the growth in the Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o population inside and outside the State of Washington comes opportunity that EWU is fully embracing.   According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 2010 Census Brief, more than half of the growth in the total population of the United States between 2000 and 2010 was due to an increase in the Hispanic population.  In the State of Washington, the population of Hispanic/Latino origin grew from 441,509 to 775,790 or approximately 76% during that same time period, and growth continues.

In true support of the CEP and the changing demographics of the region, CSBSSW and the CEP are working together to hire a new Director who is intimately connected to the Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o students and culture of this region. As EWU and the CEP are committed to the creation of an inclusive, supportive community for all its members, this individual will have professional experience and interest in culturally diverse groups, diverse learning styles, social justice and the ability of higher education to contribute to the creation of a just and more inclusive society.

Student success is the number one strategic goal of the university. The CEP has a longstanding tradition of outreach to Central and Eastern Washington’s growing Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o communities and actively recruits and supports Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o students to have successful academic careers. EWU supports Chicano education through funding for recruitment and retention, student employees, and program operation (over $270,000 in state funding for CEP since 2007).

Through the generous support of private donors, many scholarships dedicated to Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o students are available including the Chicano Education Multicultural Achievement Scholarship, the Chicano Education Teacher’s Scholarship, the Otto Guardado Chicano Education Scholarship, the Rueben Trejo Chicano/Latino in Art Scholarship, and the Wittenbach for Chicano Education Scholarship.  Students will receive scholarship awards in 2014-15 totaling $22,390.

But student success goes far beyond dollars. Despite the challenges mentioned above, the college, the university, and the faculty, staff, and students in the CEP have remained committed, involved and supportive of the program, the University, and the community. Highlights of CEP student activities include:

The National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge celebrates Cesar E. Chavez’s Legacy as an American civic leader by engaging college students to promote: 1) health education 2) health & science careers, 3) civic engagement and 4) saving lives!  CEP student leaders organize a blood donor recruitment campaign on their college campus culminating in a campus-wide health service-learning event. The event was founded in 2009 and over 250 colleges/universities and more than 30,000 students participate nationwide. In 2012, the National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge was honored as Partner of the Year by the blood services industry association, America’s Blood Centers. Almost all blood centers nationwide now participate annually, to include the American Red Cross. In 2014, this blood drive was in honor of our fallen Eagles, previous CEP/CAMP students Nancy Zepeda and Ashley Gonzales.

M.E.Ch.A has been active on and off campus bringing awareness and advocating for Immigration Reform and the Dream Act through educational forums and rallies.  In Spring 2013, MEChA organized and mobilized other community groups to participate in a peaceful march in downtown Spokane bringing awareness regarding the inequities and injustices of current immigration policy.

M.E.Ch.A.’s leadership and activism are well recognized on campus. Some active members are currently serving important leadership positions on campus, such as Frank Navarro, ASEWU Executive Vice President. MEChA also received the EWU Soaring Eagles Award for their outstanding service in Spring 2013.

Several EWU/CEP students attended the 2013 Latino Education Achievement Program conference (LEAP) held in Tacoma, Washington. The purpose of this event was to involve adolescent Chican(a)o/Latin(a)o high school students in hopes of inspiring them to pursue higher education.

Omega Delta Phi, a CEP affiliated Latino Greek fraternity at EWU, helped raise funds for their philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to ensure they are not lost in the overburdened legal and social service system.  Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.

Each year the Chicano Education Program hosts a Welcome Back Reception, welcoming nearly 250 attendees. At this event, student organizations assist in the extended welcome to new and returning students, and CEP Scholarship recipients are recognized.

CEP faculty member Jerry Garcia has moved on to continue his teaching and research and to work more closely with the students in the program.  He published his latest book Looking like the Enemy: Japanese Mexicans, the Mexican State and US Hegemony, 1897-1945 in 2013.  Additionally, due to his work with the Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the Executive Internship program has provided internship opportunities for CEP students.  Sea Mar Community Health Clinics founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health and human services in Washington state.

Martin Garcia, PhD not only serves as the faculty advisor for M.E.Ch.A., but he also works with many CEP students on research. In fall 2013, Professor Martin Garcia presented on a panel session titled: “Action Research: Community Struggles, Power, and Chicano/a Studies Scholarship” at the 2013 National Association for Chicana & Chicano Scholars Northwest Region Conference at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA.

In December 2012, Martin Garcia, along with Joseph Lenti and Bob Dean from the History Department, led a study-abroad trip to Cuba. The faculty and students who participated in the Cuba trip shared their experiences with the Spokane Community through public forums. Students who went on the trip worked with Professors Garcia and Lenti in fall quarter to learn about Cuban society and conduct research on various topics such as women’s rights, organic farming, aging, education and the effects of the US trade embargo on Cuba. The faculty and students have shared their experiences from their Cuba trip on their blog and on KYRS Thin Air Community Radio.

Jennifer Nunez, Coordinator/Recruiter, continues to be as busy as ever. In between fall 2012 and 2013, CEP hosted 13 on-campus visitations from high schools, recruited at 34 different high schools within Washington State, and attended 18 Parent Information Nights and assisted with the filing of FAFSAs. She was also instrumental in securing grants of $75,000 in 2012 and $88,680 in 2013 from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to host the Annual Dare to Dream Academy. This is a one-week academy where students experience college life and are exposed to resources for pursuing higher education. Our students are actively involved in different recruitment activities, encouraging the next generation of Chican(a)o/Latino(a) students to attend college while developing their leadership skills.

Under the leadership of Interim Director Raphael Guillory the 2014 CAMP grant proposal was successfully submitted to the US Department of Education. The proposal follows the established model of the Chicano Education director serving also as the CAMP director, should the grant be secured. Successfully securing this grant will allow us to hire more staff and serve more students, documented and undocumented, in the program. The announcement of awards will be in late spring or early summer of 2014. Committed to the purpose of this program, over the past two years the University and College provided support to existing CAMP students totaling $117,876 while preparing to reapply for the federal grant. EWU continues to be extremely proud of our Chicano Education Program and all of the achievements of our affiliated student organizations and faculty members. We continue to transition and to seize all possible opportunities!

The Eastern Washington University campus community turned out in large numbers to listen to visiting Tibetan speaker Geshe Thupten Phelgye talk about diversity and interfaith cooperation, social and community service and Middle Eastern issues last week.

A member of the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan Parliament in exile, Geshe Phelgye related his life experiences as a Buddhist monk and scholar to issues faced every day on the EWU campus and in the lives of EWU community members.

His discussion about diversity and interfaith cooperation, held in the Hargreaves Reading Room, attracted about 200 people.

Geshe Phelgye’s visit was sponsored by the EWU Compassionate Interfaith Society and co-sponsored by EWU’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and College of Arts and Letters.