Greetings, fellow
lovers of history. AW MML, HI, here. One of The
Bruin History Blog’s greatest features is the quality character profiles of
Belmont professors, students, and alumni. So far, I have included Dr. Peter
Kuryla, my friend Liz Timbs, and myself, and this very groovy post continues
that tradition and reveals the secrets of Dr. Brenda Jackson-Abernathy, simply
known as Dr. Jackson.
“Born in Boise, Idaho, [and raised] there
until the fifth grade when [her family] moved to Walnut Creek, California, [. .
. .] in the East Bay region of the San
Francisco Bay Area,”[1]
Dr. Jackson no doubt has had a western orientation about her. Indeed, she
attained both her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees at “San Jose State
University, and [her] Ph.D. at Washington State University. (Go Cougs!)”[2] A veteran sensei[3] (far more veteran
than Dr. Kuryla! LOL!),[4]
Dr. Jackson taught her first lesson “in 1995 at [her] alma mater, San Jose
State University, and at the College of San Mateo.”[5]
(1995! I was seven. Dr. Jackson probably agrees with me when I say, where did
all the time go? LOL!) Dr. Jackson added, “I was what was called ‘freeway
flyer’ – an adjunct instructor moving between schools, picking up available
courses wherever they might be found!”[6]
Dr. Jackson first joined the Belmont family ten years ago
“in the fall of 2003.”[7]
Ten years ago – unbelievable! Unbelievable. Know what else is unbelievable? How
Dr. Jackson came to Belmont is unbelievably un-epic – LOL! She told me, “]H] mmmm,
how?? Well, a job was advertised, I’d always lived in the West and thought it
was time to try a different part of the country, Nashville seemed like a good
choice, they hired me, and the rest, as they say, is history!”[8]
Indeed, it was. She has never been the chair of the History Department at
another university but has been heading Belmont’s “since June of 2006.”[9]
Like
Dr. Kuryla, Dr. Jackson is an avid reader. Responding to my question about what
she reads for pleasure, she cleverly and facetiously declared, “You already
know the answer to this, right??!!
History!!”[10]
As a result, Dr. Jackson finds plenty of time to be an active historian. In
fact, she said, “Yes, it’s required by the academy that professors actively
engage in professional development. It
isn’t always easy, but it is achievable.
I do love dusty archives, and spend most summers researching and
writing.”[11]
Okay,
peeps, I introduced Dr. Jackson. But that was just the appetizer. The main
course is now served….
CRAFT: Were you always interested in history?
JACKSON: Yes, for as long as I can remember I’ve
been interested in all aspects of history and historical study. I entertained
the idea of law school while in high school – always did enjoy a good argument!
– but history ultimately won.
CRAFT: Why history?
What first got you interested?
JACKSON: I have always loved history; I can’t
remember when I didn’t! I started
reading biographies in elementary school, and never stopped reading history. We
had a framed family tree in our house dating our family’s history in America
back to 1630s Connecticut – I always thought that was pretty interesting! I was
fortunate enough to have lots of grandparents and great-grandparents around
when I was young, so talking about their pasts, and America’s past, was a
regular part of life. My great-grandmother Edith travelled overland – in a
covered wagon – from Dakota Territory to the Pacific Northwest in the 1890s,
and I loved hearing those stories. My interest in western history probably
began there. I also had some great history teachers along the way. My 6th grade teacher, Joanne Taylor, in Walnut Creek,
California, taught me about research and how to take notes. She was wonderful! Dr. John Winterrle, at San
Jose State University, helped convince me History could be my profession as
well as my passion. He was wonderful, too!
CRAFT: What role does history play in education?
JACKSON: I think history plays a huge role in
education. Any attempt to understand the present without some knowledge of the
past is futile. Not that History
necessarily “repeats itself,” but situations and conditions do build on, and
react to, one another. The Battle of the Little Big Horn, for instance, makes
no real sense without some knowledge of the first Fort Laramie Treaty, which
predated it by a quarter century. (Had to get a western history example in
there!)
CRAFT: Do you feel history gets enough attention or
focus in all levels of school? JACKSON: No, and that’s a pretty
firm “no.” It seems there are fewer and fewer required history courses across
the educational levels, and the lack of a strong historical foundation is
evident. I see it with my own children, and the “teach to the test” technique
prevalent in K-12 education today, which results in a good deal of memorizing,
but little real “learning.” During the last presidential election students from
numerous college campuses were asked basic, fundamental American history
questions. While some of their answers were pretty hilarious, their lack of
knowledge was just sad.
CRAFT: Where is the gap in the average person’s
historical knowledge the widest? Where is it the narrowest?
JACKSON: Well, I’m not sure how to define “average,”
but I think the gap for most people is pretty big – and covers most historical
eras. A semester doesn’t pass without
students asking why they weren’t aware of some American history fact or
another, and many of them are pretty irritated by it! I find most people have an interest in
history, and once it’s piqued and they realize history isn’t all about names
and dates, but about people, and events, and making connections across time and
place, they take steps to fill those knowledge gaps.
CRAFT: Who is your favorite intellectual, and why?
Where do you see his or her historic relevance and importance?
JACKSON: I’m a social and not an intellectual
historian, but for me, it’s probably Tocqueville.[12] He seemed to understand the intention of the
American system, perhaps better than some early 19th-century
American office holders. I think, for that reason, his relevance remains strong
for contemporary readers as well.
CRAFT: What book of historical nature would you
recommend that everyone read?
JACKSON: There are so many – if I have to pick just
one, I’ll choose Gordon Wood’s The
Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Not only does Wood introduce/reveal a
Benjamin Franklin most would not recognize, he identifies the American
Revolution in as an international event – which is truly was, and many seem to
forget!
CRAFT: What book of historical nature would you
recommend that any president, prime minister, or head of state should read?
JACKSON: Without question, The Federalist Papers. Every
American government official, elected or appointed, needs to read this series
of essays by Madison,[13]
Hamilton,[14] and Jay,[15]
and remind themselves of the intended role of the American government.
CRAFT: Is there a person you admire or model
yourself after?
JACKSON: Professionally, my measuring stick has
always been my grad school advisor, Dr. Sue Armitage. She was a pioneer of Women’s History in the
1970s, an exceptional teacher, and continues to be an accomplished author. She
was incredibly tough on me during graduate school, but always very fair. I
strive to follow her example where my own students are concerned. She never
asked something of me she knew I couldn’t accomplish (though at times I wasn’t
so sure!) and she was always in my corner. My goal has always been to be the
teacher and mentor to my students she was to me.
CRAFT: What is the most important thing students
leave your courses with?
JACKSON: Strong skills – reading, writing, critical
thinking – and inquiring minds. I hope
students leave my classes with a strong understanding of history, the ability
to identify and locate source material, deal with it critically and
objectively, present it in written form as a contribution to the discipline,
and never be afraid, or unwilling, to question.
CRAFT: Is there a specific avenue or focus of
history you find most interesting, and why?
JACKSON: Yes,
the 19th century American West – probably because I’m a
westerner! I find the history of the American West fascinating. Things happened so quickly there – “episodes”
or “eras” usually lasted only a decade or two.
It may be overstated to suggest the West “defined” America and
Americans, but there is no question that the resources and opportunities of the
West changed 19th-century America, and
greatly contributed to the development, growth, and status of the nation.
CRAFT: Do you
bring history home with you?
JACKSON: Yes, I do, and
I’m sure my husband and children would also respond to that question with a
hearty “yes!” History isn’t simply my profession, it’s my passion, and
impossible to turn off just because the work day has ended.
CRAFT: Does your family share your passion for
history or teaching?
JACKSON: My
husband is very interested in history, something he inherited from his father
who loved history. My children – not so much, but they’re young – there’s still
time! I’m very proud and excited, though, that my nephew, Drew, will begin work
on a History degree next fall at Reed College, in Portland, Oregon.
CRAFT: Who is your favorite American president
and/or politician, both past and recent/current, and why?
JACKSON: Rather than going with “favorite” here, I’m
going with most important/least acknowledged and that is, of course, James K.
Polk.[16]
Like him and his politics or hate them, Polk brought the West into the United
States, and for that I am forever grateful!
CRAFT: In your opinion, has popular culture ever
accurately portrayed history?
JACKSON: It comes close from time to time –
certainly, historical accuracy is more important to film makers and others than
in the past, though they still do take poetic license. I do think pop culture
is important in “bringing” people to history – evidenced in just the past month[17]
with widespread popularity of the History Channel miniseries “The Bible.” For
me, though, where media is concerned, nothing beats a Ken Burns[18]
documentary –
CRAFT: In your opinion, why have the War of 1812 and
World War I received less attention in both popular culture and education than
say the American Revolution or World War II?
JACKSON: Let me speak to the American Rev. and the
War of 1812 since they fall more fully in my areas of study. I think the reasons for the attention and
popularity of the American Rev. over the War of 1812 are pretty
straightforward. The American Revolution was a clear victory – and a big one!
The War of 1812 didn’t go at all well for the Americans, with the exceptions of
naval victories in the Great Lakes and Andrew Jackson’s route of the British in
New Orleans (after the war had ended!) the British managed to burn much of
Washington, D.C. to the ground, and the war ended in a draw. An anti-climactic end to a war often dubbed
the “Second American Revolution!”
Okay,
peeps. Is Dr. Jackson not awesome? If you don’t think so, I’ll knock some sense
into you! LOL! If not, you should get to know her. Look at me, for example. She
knows I’m trouble – Trouble with a capital T – but she keeps me around anyway.
LOL!
Thanks for reading.
Stay tuned!
AW MML, HI
[1]
Brenda Jackson-Abernathy, personal interview April 14, 2013.
[2]
Jackson.
[3]
Japanese term for teacher.
[4]
I used the very same phrase in Dr. Kuryla’s character profile, “Peter Kuryla:
Living for Ideas.”
[5]
Jackson.
[6]
Jackson.
[7]
Jackson.
[8]
Jackson.
[9]
Jackson.
[10][10]
Jackson.
[11]
Jackson.
[12]
Alexis Tocqueville is an early nineteenth-century French political scholar and
historian best known for his analysis of America.
[13]
James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June28, 1836) – fourth president of the United
States.
[14]
Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 – July 12, 1804) – George Washington’s
Secretary of the Treasury.
[16]
James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) – eleventh president of the
United States.
[17]
Dr. Jackson meant March 2013.
[18]
Kenneth Lauren “Ken” Burns (July 29, 1953-present) – American filmmaker and
documentarian best known for works on the American Civil War. “Ken
Burns.biography,” Biography.com, A+E Television Networks, LLC, 2013.
