Â鶹ÊÓƵ

The 2024 LH Thomas Lecture is now available to watch online .

“Fashion Politics and the Power of Dress: A History of Whiteness & Empire, c. 1660-1820" was presented by Beverly Lemire, C.M. on Thursday, March 21 in Henderson Hall at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ. 

Histories of empire, race and gender are illuminated through the politics of dress. The Caribbean was a key source of imperial wealth extraction; fashions shaped the public face of this savage system with Black women fashion-makers persisting and defying. In this talk Dr. Lemire explored 'whiteness' and its material dimensions, from soap and laundry to masquerade balls.