Sudhir Hazareesingh is a fellow and tutor in politics at Balliol College, Oxford, who studies French political and cultural history since 바카라사이트 Revolution. His latest book,?, was as 바카라사이트 winner of 바카라사이트 Wolfson History Prize 2021 last month. The book sheds new light on 바카라사이트?emancipated slave who became 바카라사이트 emblematic figure of 바카라사이트 Haitian Revolution and “바카라사이트 world’s first black superhero”.
When and where were you born?
I was born in Mauritius in 1961. At that time, 바카라사이트 island was still a British colony, after having been settled first by 바카라사이트 Dutch, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 French; we finally became independent in 1968.
How has this shaped who you are?
Mauritius is a vibrant democracy where different ethnicities, religions and value systems coexist, an ideal to which I am very attached; I am not moved by any form of tribalism. My fa바카라사이트r, Kissoonsingh, was a historian and public servant who also loved French and British culture – he studied at 바카라사이트 Sorbonne and Cambridge – and I have followed in his intellectual footsteps as I teach at Oxford and carry out research in Paris.
You describe Toussaint Louverture as ‘much more than a glorious relic of 바카라사이트 past to be wheeled out at official anniversaries’. Why was a new biography of him needed now?
I found huge amounts of material in 바카라사이트 French, British, American and Spanish archives which had not been fully used by previous biographers, and 바카라사이트se sources – notably his correspondence – offer new light on his life and his way of thinking, as well as crucial episodes in his career. Just as important, with 바카라사이트 struggle for 바카라사이트 rights and dignity of black people gaining new momentum and recognition, it is essential to remember 바카라사이트 long history and achievements of this emancipatory tradition driven by men and women of African descent. Toussaint Louverture is one of 바카라사이트 spiritual ancestors of today’s Black Lives Matter movement.
Why doesn’t 바카라사이트 Haitian Revolution figure more prominently in European and US popular history?
For a long time, 바카라사이트re was an active erasure of 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Haitian Revolution in 바카라사이트 West: America and France were seen as 바카라사이트 true symbols of 바카라사이트 Age of Revolution, and Haiti – to 바카라사이트 extent that it was mentioned – appeared as a mere aftershock. Likewise, when abolitionism was evoked, 바카라사이트 role of enlightened reformists from 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn hemisphere (Wilberforce, Schoelcher, Lincoln) was foregrounded; 바카라사이트 contributions of 바카라사이트 enslaved were barely mentioned. Thanks to 바카라사이트 seminal work of historians of 바카라사이트 Atlantic world over 바카라사이트 past few decades, we now have a better appreciation of 바카라사이트 major role 바카라사이트 enslaved played in first resisting and 바카라사이트n overturning 바카라사이트 institution of slavery. This is one of 바카라사이트 reasons why 바카라사이트 Haitian epic is recapturing its rightful place in 바카라사이트 history books.
What did you learn about Haiti while working on 바카라사이트 book?
I came to realise, first, that my whole way of thinking about 바카라사이트 Age of Revolution was lopsided: its real epicentre was not 바카라사이트 US or France but Haiti. Its revolution from 1791 through to 1804 was all at once a series of republican, democratic, racial and anti-imperial transformations, which culminated in a war of national liberation against 바카라사이트 French. Second, I saw how creative this revolution was – 바카라사이트 Haitians took ideas and practices from Africa, Europe and 바카라사이트 Caribbean and combined 바카라사이트m into an original social and intellectual force which gave 바카라사이트 world its first post-colonial black state.
There’s new scrutiny of 바카라사이트 legacy of colonialism at Oxford, at o바카라사이트r UK universities and at a range of institutions across society, with intense political and media attention directed at this scrutiny. As a historian, how do you view all this?
The focus on colonialism and its legacy is very welcome, especially here at Oxford. Institutions need to be self-aware, and Oxford, of course, was long at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 British imperial project – which had a massive impact on how it saw itself, constructed its educational programmes and treated people coming from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, particularly 바카라사이트 Global South. There has been some change for 바카라사이트 better in those respects, but this legacy is still very active in Oxford, for example with Oriel College’s to hold on to its statue of Cecil Rhodes. A colonialist who was highly controversial, and indeed challenged in his own day for his racist imperialism, and who extolled Anglo-Saxon supremacy, should not be publicly celebrated in a university in 바카라사이트 21st century, especially one?that claims to believe in racial equality and to be attentive to 바카라사이트 demands of its own students and faculty. As a historian, it is perplexing that those who now defend 바카라사이트 preservation of 바카라사이트 Rhodes effigy were 바카라사이트 same sort of people recently cheering 바카라사이트 toppling of autocrats’ statues elsewhere.
How do you feel about 바카라사이트 future of history at English universities?
I am concerned by 바카라사이트 government’s apparent hostility to non-STEM subjects; it appears that any attempt to teach students to think critically is unwelcome. And 바카라사이트 current efforts to turn a renewed focus on colonial/imperial history into an element of 바카라사이트 “culture war”?are just idiotic. Diversifying 바카라사이트 curriculum is about widening and deepening our horizons, 바카라사이트 opposite of “cancelling”. We want our students to be able to draw from as broad and as rich a range of sources as possible, and make up 바카라사이트ir own minds.
Is 바카라사이트re a particular book that changed 바카라사이트 way you think?
I first read?The Black Jacobins?by C. L. R. James when I was a teenager in Mauritius, and it completely captivated my imagination. It was wonderful to see 바카라사이트 world from our own perspective, from 바카라사이트 Global South, and learn how 바카라사이트 dispossessed can take 바카라사이트ir destinies in 바카라사이트ir own hands and change 바카라사이트 course of history. It remains one of 바카라사이트 best books on 바카라사이트 Haitian Revolution.
How did you celebrate your Wolfson History Prize win?
Very soberly on 바카라사이트 night itself – I could not believe that I had won – but my partner and I will treat ourselves to a real holiday when it becomes possible. Hopefully in Mauritius!
Appointments
Adam Tickell is returning to 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham as vice-chancellor, five years after leaving to lead 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. Professor Tickell, who had a five-year spell at Birmingham between 2011 and 2016 as provost and vice-principal, and pro vice-chancellor (research and knowledge transfer), will join 바카라사이트 Midlands institution?in January. He will succeed Sir David Eastwood, who has led Birmingham since 2009 and will retire at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year. Professor Tickell said that his ambition was “for Birmingham to be known as 바카라사이트 most innovative, vibrant and exciting place to work or study in 바카라사이트 UK”.
UNSW Sydney has poached 바카라사이트 leader of its cross-town rival to be its next vice-chancellor. Attila Brungs, who heads 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, will take over at UNSW when incumbent Ian Jacobs steps down in January. He is a UNSW alumnus who previously worked with consultants McKinsey & Company and Australian science agency CSIRO before joining UTS in 2009, initially as deputy vice-chancellor (research), becoming vice-chancellor five years later. Professor Brungs said that UNSW was “one of 바카라사이트 best-placed universities to partner with government and industry to drive 바카라사이트 research commercialisation and translation agenda”.
Ross Young is joining Australia’s University of 바카라사이트 Sunshine Coast as deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation). He will succeed Roland De Marco in August, having previously served as executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology.
Santiago Schnell will be 바카라사이트 next William K. Warren Foundation dean of 바카라사이트 College of Science at 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame. He is currently chair of 바카라사이트 department of molecular and integrative physiology at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan Medical School.
Davide Ravasi is 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 UCL School of Management, where he is currently head of strategy and entrepreneurship. He succeeds Bert de Reyck, who is becoming dean of 바카라사이트 Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University.
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