Eddie O’Byrn, Cowling Postdoctoral Fellow in Philosophy
Summer 2021, Professor Eddie O’Byrn researched Black history and culture in Minnesota for a new class. The class will explore the history of Black communities in Minnesota, and involved a culminating public-facing student project. Professor O’Byrn will also included travel in this class to important sites in the state, including the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, Fort Snelling, and the Duluth lynching memorial. The course will center learning from the community, and Professor O’Byrn sees this as a valuable opportunity to make meaningful relationships with community-based organizations including the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, and the Hallie Q Brown center.
To prepare, Professor O’Byrn spent time gathering materials, including visiting local archives as needed, connecting with local community organizations, traveling to important Minnesota Black history sites, and beginning to plan the course syllabus. As the course will hopefully involve travel, O’Byrn envisions offering the course for the 2022-2023 academic year.