Call for Panelists: Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting, April 2-4, 2020

Anderson Rouse Announcement
Location
North Carolina, United States
Subject Fields
Religious Studies and Theology, American History / Studies, African American History / Studies

I am seeking participants on a panel focused around the topic of Religion, American Politics, and (In)equality in the 20th century. My own presentation would focus on on Jerry Falwell, Sr. and his campaign for the "New American Family," an attempt to achieve Falwell's idea of the "American Dream" by creating nuclear, hierarchical, and, most of all, evangelical families and homes based on Falwell's teachings while simultaneously attacking those who were, in Falwell's words, "seeking to destroy family values." Falwell's campaigns against pornography, abortion, feminism, and LGBT rights (and LGBT individuals, such as Ellen Degeneres) stem from his beliefs that these all threatened his ideal for the American family. This idea of the new American family energized the Christian Right, and at the same time reaffirmed inequalities in American society. I hope to find 2 additional participants, as well as a commentator. Papers dealing with religion and American politics in the 20th century that touch on the theme of equality and inequality are preferred. If you are interested in putting a proposal together, email me at arrouse@uncg.edu. Thank you for your consideration! I am also seeking a commentor, if anyone is interested. 

About panel convener: I am a doctoral candidate in US History at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. My dissertation focuses on evangelists in the American South after the Civil War and the rise of the Christian Right.

Contact Email
arrouse@uncg.edu