Why Diversify Classics? with Arum Park

Abstract

A Google search for ‘diversity and Classics’ reveals the field’s growing dedication to diversity in recent years, particularly in North America and the United Kingdom. But what do we mean when we say ‘diversity’, and — more importantly — to what end do we seek greater diversity in Classics? Shivaike Shah speaks with Arum Park, Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Arizona, to explore these questions and to discuss steps that have been and can still be taken to diversify Classics.

Bibliography

Open-source

Wyatt Mason, ‘The First Woman to Translate the “Odyssey” Into English’, New York Times (2017)

Samuel Ortencio Flores, ‘Diversity’, Society for Classical Studies Blo (2020)

Arum Park, ‘Multicultural Voices in Classical Scholarship’, speech at College of Charleston’s Classical Charleston 2019

• You can find more of Arum’s outreach publications on her faculty webpage here.

Dan-el Padilla Peralta, ‘Some thoughts on AIA-SCS 2019’, Medium (2019)

Rachel Poser, ‘He Wants to Save Classics from Whiteness. Can the Field Survive?’, New York Times (2021)

Paywalled

Shelley Haley, ‘Be Not Afraid of the Dark: Critical Race Theory and Classical Studies’, in Laura Nasrallah & Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (eds.), Prejudice and Christian Beginnings: Investigating Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Early Christian Studies (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010)

Transcript

You can find a full transcript of the episode here.