Sylvia Wynter : An Oral History
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Sylvia Wynter, Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and of African and Afro-American Studies, Emerita, shares reflections on her life and work. She describes growing up in Jamaica and the impact of colonialism and the anti-colonial movement on her life; her education in England; and her writings and research, including the concept of “the third event.” Wynter talks about how she came to Stanford and the way the African and Afro- American Studies Program helped to shape her thinking. Other topics include West Indian identity and the Boscoe Holder Dance Troupe, gender and anti-colonialism, and the production of her play, Maskarade, by Stanford’s Black Performing Arts Committee.
- Summary
- Childhood in Jamaica under British colonization • Mother’s work as an actress in radio soap operas • Expectations of girls in the home • Role of religion, specifically Christianity, in childhood and education • Exposure to Jamaican music and dance • Power of rhythm • Going to dance performances in London later on • Boscoe Holder and the West Indies community in England • Post-World War II England • Writing short stories for the BBC • Women in academia in Jamaica • Impact of anti-colonial movement and thoughts on power of “genre” more than “gender” • Inspiration for On Being Human As Praxis and concept of “the third event” • Interest in origin myths • Influence of Frantz Fanon and Aimé Césaire • Move to United States for a position at University of California, San Diego, in Comparative Literature and Third World Studies • Recruitment to Stanford • Contrast of British and American universities • Thoughts on Marx, race, and origin stories • Stanford in the 1970s and 1980s • Increasing dominance of technology and science at Stanford • African Studies • Retirement • Production of Maskarade at Stanford • Jamaican theater traditions • Stanford’s Black Performing Arts Committee • African and Afro- American Studies Program • Teaching and research at Stanford • Contrast of Black Americans and West Indians relationship to Africa • Impact of assault of Rodney King on her and her students, including the publication of “No Humans Involved” • Collaboration with other Stanford professors, including West Indians Ewart Thomas and John Rickford • Correlation of biology and myth • Power of myths in society • Inspirations for her novel, The Hills of Hebron • Preference for writing short pieces as opposed to novels • Reflections on career in the United States and at Stanford • Importance of interdisciplinary study • Thoughts on the irrational distribution of wealth
Description
Type of resource | text |
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Extent | 1 text file |
Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Date created | November 22, 2017 |
Language | English |
Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
Interviewee | Wynter, Sylvia | |
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Creator | Wynter, Sylvia | |
Interviewer | Marine-Street, Natalie J. | |
Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
Subject | Wynter, Sylvia |
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Subject | History > Jamaica |
Subject | Stanford University. Department of Spanish and Portuguese |
Subject | Mythology |
Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
Biographical Profile |
Sylvia Wynter is a Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and of African and Afro-American Studies, Emerita at Stanford University. Wynter was born in Cuba in 1928, but grew up in her parents’ native Jamaica under British colonial rule. She attended King’s College London in the years following World War II, where she earned both her BA and MA, studying modern languages, specifically Spanish.
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Audio |
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Finding Aid | |
Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/kd232zm4370 |
Location | SC0932 |
Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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