Medieval Studies Struggles Against White Supremacist Elements in the Field

As the International Congress on Medieval Studies (ICMS) planned its 2019 convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan, scholars noticed a common theme among the rejected presentations: “Race and the Medieval,” “Decentering Privilege,” “How to be a White Ally in Medieval Studies 101,” “Globalizing Medieval Pedagogy,” “Translations of Power: Race, Class, and Gender Intersectionality in the Middle Ages” — to name a few. 

Though exasperated, many scholars of color were not surprised — questions of race have historically been swept under the rug within the field, they say. Just ask Dr. Adam Miyashiro, a comparative literature professor at Stockton University, who says it took nearly 11 years to publish his dissertation examining race in the Middle Ages.

“Medieval studies in general has been the last humanities-based discipline to welcome new perspectives, whether it’s research perspectives or theoretical perspectives,” said Miyashiro. “It was previously dominated by White men and for that reason, questions surrounding race in the Middle Ages were often ignored.”

However, as a small rebellion inside the world of Medieval studies gains traction, those questions are now being given due attention as scholars of color challenge the field and reckon with how it has, in some instances, reinforced White supremacy. 

Within the last three years, scholars of color have created their own blogs, workshops and an international research symposium. In some cases, they’ve even stepped down from prestigious positions in protest.

This past September, Dr. Mary Rambaran-Olm, a Medieval literature scholar, resigned from her post as vice president of the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists, citing the society’s refusal to change its name as emblematic of the racism and sexism within the field. 

In the wake of her resignation, the society voted to change its name, due to “Anglo-Saxon’s” problematic connotations related to White supremacy.