CONTACT:
Mike Jacobs
636 Granite Way, Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-834-3262
michael.jacobs at uwc.edu
Mike Jacobs will negotiate costs with you. Contact him directly to make arrangements. REGION:
Ethnic Studies, History, Religious StudiesHUMANITIES EXPERTISE:
Dane County, Southern Wisconsin
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MIKE JACOBS
Mike Jacobs, a native of Lake County, Indiana, received a BS in History with minors in Multi-Cultural Education, Religious Studies, American Studies, and English from Ball State University in 1990. He received his MA and PhD in American History from Marquette University in 1992 and 2001 respectively. He has taught history at eight different universities. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County. His areas of interest and specialty include: the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest, anti-Klan activities, American anti-catholicism, American sports history, World War I, and the immigration history.
Public Presentations:
The Ku Klux Klan in Wisconsin, 1920-1930
Generally perceived as a post-Civil War southern terrorist group or Civil Rights era white supremacist organization, the Ku Klux Klan attained its greatest membership and following in the 1920s. African-Americans were just one of many Klan targets and this incarnation of the Klan thrived in the Midwest…even in Wisconsin. This lecture surveys the history of the Klan but focuses on its activites in Wisconsin during the 1920s giving particular attention to its rise, appeal, opponents, and ultimate decline. This presentation will be accompanied by slides.
Nativist Propaganda in American History
The recent surge of anti-immigrant sentiment is not an aberration but simply another unfortunate episode in American xenophobia. The racial and ethnic component is not new either. Despite America’s traditional boast calling for the world’s “huddled masses yearning to be free,” there has been a vocal segment of American society that wants no part of the “wretched refuse.” If there are to be new Americans at all, according to the designs of this constituency, they need to resemble the macro-culture in appearance, customs, and ambitions. The pro-immigration and nativist forces have engaged in an enduring ideological struggle for the essence of what America should be. The anti-immigration forces have relied on tactics of fear-mongering and bigotry with measured success. This largely visual presentation will focus on the propaganda employed by the nativist faction in support of its agenda. By emphasizing the similarities over centuries of this propaganda, Mike Jacobs hopes to demonstrate that fears have neither changed nor diminished. Moreover, he hopes to reassure audiences that our current debate is neither epic nor final.
Diversity: The Foundation of American Strength
The United States is a multi-cultural country not by design but by circumstance. Americans have struggled with the racial and ethnic injustices of the past and are unsure of the future. This presentation surveys a variety of groups and their historic place in the American mosaic. While this presentation considers the fight for social and political equality, the focus rests on the premise that America’s diversity is its strength. This presentation will be accompanied by slides and a number of participatory activities. |
