Elizabeth A. Patton, Associate Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

In the US, black leisure and tourism have long been means of resistance against entrenched systemic racism. Professor Patton dives into a rich tapestry of archival materials—from photographs, documentary films, and guidebooks to advertisements and personal home movies—to shed light on the multifaceted ways African Americans harnessed media and cultural memory to document leisure. Central to this research is the exploration of the intersections of media, racial geographies, and the collective memory of a community that used leisure as a practice to assert their humanity, challenge prevailing stereotypes, and counteract pervasive negative portrayals.

 Campus community only, please.