2015 Arrington Mormon History Lecture is Sept. 24
Dr. Quincy D. Newell presents "Narrating Jane: Telling the Story of an Early African American Mormon Woman," the 2015 Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture, Thursday, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Logan LDS Tabernacle.
Jane Elizabeth Manning James was among the early African American converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is the subject of the 2015 Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture provided by Quincy D. Newell, a specialist in the religious history of the American West.
Newell presents “Narrating Jane: Telling the Story of an Early African American Mormon Woman” Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Logan LDS Tabernacle, 50 N. Main Street. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Newell provided an overview of her presentation.
James joined the Mormon church in the early 1840s and was a faithful member until her death in Salt Lake City in 1908, Newell said. And although James was well-known among church members during her lifetime, she was largely forgotten after her death.
“However, beginning in about 2000, there was a significant up-tick in non-academic LDS discourse about James,” Newell said.
In her lecture, Newell will analyze this recent discourse to show that James has become a way for Latter-day Saints to talk about both gender and race in ways that create a usable past for the 21st century.
As part of the lecture, a writing competition for college-age students is held. The competition encourages a continuation of the lecture’s namesake’s scholastic tradition and legacy. Cash awards totaling $1,750 are presented to the top three students who submit essays based on the lecture.
Students must attend the lecture where official entry forms are available, and then complete an essay. Lecture notes should be submitted along with a 2,500-word essay related to the lecture, including a one-page lecture synopsis. A minimum of two outside research sources, including books, articles, newspapers or primary documents must be included in a bibliography (not part of the 2,500 words). The essay topic should relate to the lecture topic but can expand or create new connections. The writing style can be expository, persuasive or reflective, but not fiction. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 11, 2015.
The writing contest and lecture are sponsored by Utah State University’s Special Collections and Archives Division, University Libraries; the Leonard J. Arrington Lecture and Archives Foundation; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Utah State University.
Prizes for the writing contest may not be awarded if no submissions are deemed worthy.
Call Special Collections and Archives with questions, (435) 797-2663.
Related links:
USU Special Collections and Archives
USU Special Collections Current Events/Arrington Lecture
Contact: Brad Cole, (435) 797-8268, brad.cole@usu.edu
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354, patrick.williams@usu.edu
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