Human Rights On the Ground in New York City

ENGLISH 5193 | 1-credit field school | May 23-28, 2022

Sponsored by the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme

Human Rights on the Ground will explore a variety of human rights cultural practices, monuments and archive — from Ground Zero to neighborhood cultural movements and events — including the Ground Zero Museum, the African Burial Ground, the Tenement Museum, the Columbia University Human Rights Archives, and the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. This field school will combine the prominent, the forgotten, the acknowledged, the barely mentioned, the globally significant and the locally significant. The African Burial ground is just one example: the skeletal remains of enslaved and free Africans were only discovered during an excavation for a building in the 1990s, and although a monument now stands on the site, it remains a relatively unknown human rights marker, dedicated to the particular story of the Africans who helped build New Amsterdam and the larger global story of slavery. The Tenement Museum similarly represents the ordinary and the global struggles of poverty, labor and migration. Our community partner, Citylore, has developed research practices designed to serve the diverse cultural communities of the New York City area and to identify locally significant sites for acknowledging human rights struggles. Focusing on the arts, including poetry, murals, monuments, and music, we will explore a great range of human rights practices, including Disability Rights, the Civil Rights Movement, Labor Struggles, Women’s Rights, and Immigrant Rights.

How to Apply

To apply, send an email to Professor Amy Shuman by March 21 with two paragraphs describing your interest in this Field School, including any experiences you’ve had with human rights practices (prior experience is not required) and reasons why this Field School would help you with your future goals.

Arrangement Details

• Transportation Students will fly together from Columbus to NYC. Ohio State will pay for students’ roundtrip flights and transportation to/from the airport. We will use subways and buses as ground transportation, and instructors will assist students in purchasing a metro card. Students may travel by taxi at their own expense.
• Lodging and Meals Ohio State will pay for lodging in two-person rooms with a person of the same gender. The hotel will provide breakfast. Students must pay for their own lunch. Ohio State will pay a pre-approved amount for dinners. 
• Other Ohio State will pay all entrance fees. Students will need a cell phone.

Student Responsibilities

1. Short pre-program reading assignment; 
2. Attend all events during the program; 
3. Post a photo each day about the event; 
4. Participate in dinner discussions about the day’s event; 
5. Participate in creation of a final group image comprised of at least one image from each day.