Using Critical Inquiry and Archival Research to Dispel Campus Lore and Reconstruct Campus Histories

This presentation explores how campus racial history projects contend with longstanding campus lore and the ways in which critical inquiry and archival research can be used to dispel such lore. Likewise, critical inquiry and archival research play important roles in filling gaps and silences in key parts of campus histories. Two case studies will be explored. The first surrounding campus lore revolves around the life of Paul Tulane, campus namesake, and his ties to enslavement and segregation. The second surrounding campus silence revolves around the presence of administrators, faculty, staff and students of color who engaged with the university prior to its official desegregation in 1963. In both cases, analysis of heavily cited as well as untapped sources were key to discovering new details of Tulane’s racial history; illustrating that when we ask key questions, engage diverse archives, and analyze with a critical eye, we can create a shared understanding of campus history that is rooted in historical accuracy.