Race, Celibacy, and Religion in the 19th Century: A Conversation with Alexandria Griffin
Alexandria Griffin, a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University, received a 2016 research travel grant to utilize Notre Dame’s University Archives in probing “intersections of race, gender, and celibacy.” Her dissertation proposal aimed to illuminate the experiences of African American communities of Catholic priests and nuns—and of African American Shakers—during the 19th century. Heather Grennan Gary, the Cushwa Center’s communications and outreach specialist, interviewed Griffin about her on-campus research in May 2016. This inquiry, Griffin explained, could provide new insights into African American perceptions of particular, prescribed religious traditions.…