Episode 33 - An RCer unpacks racism and classism in a mixed-race family in the 18th century

Maria LoCicero, RC '21 with majors in LSA History and RC Arts & Ideas in the Humanities, combined her interests in history and theater in her  senior Honors thesis in History. It is partly an historiographical analysis, largely based on letters found in the U-M Clements Historical Library, of the dynamics of racism and classism in the Taylor family of Scotland, Britain and Jamaica in the 18th and 19th centuries. Building upon her extensive coursework in RC Drama courses as part of her Arts & Ideas major, Maria juxtaposed her essay with an original play, "Their Station in Life," that illustrates how members of the Taylor family went from being insiders to outsiders in different ways, and how they experienced their various "stations" as they pursued money, family, and careers. Listen as Maria unpacks her process and findings, and *bonus!* you'll hear a small excerpt from the play. The music on this episode is Corelli - Concerto Grosso D Minor 2 by the Advent Chamber Orchestra.