Myron M. Beasley is an Associate Professor and Chair of the American Studies program at Bates College.  His critical ethnographic research includes exploring the intersection of cultural politics, material culture, and social change.  Drawing from his work on the topic of Malaga Island, he will interrogate the cultural politics of the historical narrative.  Why might some narratives persist, and others remain hidden or erased from the historical record?

Malaga Island is an island at the mouth of the New Meadows River in Casco Bay, Maine. From the 1860s until 1912 when the residents of the island were forcibly evicted by the state of Maine, the island was home to an interracial community.

Beasley’s ethnographic research includes exploring the intersection of cultural politics, material culture and social change. He has been awarded fellowships and grants by the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and most recently the Ruth Landes Award from the Reed Foundation. His writing about Africana Cultural Politics, Contemporary Art, Material Culture and cultural engagement has appeared in many academic journals including “Text and Performance Quarterly,” “Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture,” “The Journal of Poverty, Museum & Social Issues,” “The Journal of Curatorial Studies, Food and Foodways” and “Performance Research”.