Drawing on recent theories of boundary processes, status and ethnicity, I investigate processes of group-making in the post-Civil War era (1865-1905) when Americans were faced with two daunting political projects: rebuilding the nation, and creating a new racial order to replace the abolished system of bond slavery. Although scholars have…

The story of Kentucky's earliest foray into higher education, Transylvania Seminary, finds denominational influence writ large--Presbyterianism presents a guiding presence in the dynamics of early growth. The forces of liberal secularism are said to be ranged against those of conservative sectarianism; the victory of the former is a movement…

During the 2010 election campaign, Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky demanded the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. "I am against any federal funding or control of education," he said. "Historically, education was funded and controlled locally" (Strauss, 2010). Another new Republican senator, Mike Lee from…

The Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families and protecting every child from harm. By publishing a diverse range of views on a wide array of topics, "Children's…

It's all about the mission at Berea College. Founded on a Utopian dream, Berea has been doing diversity longer than any school in the South. Berea College isn't a product of the civil rights movement. Not even close. The school pre-dates Reconstruction. In fact, at 150 years old, the first integrated, co-educational school in the South pre-dates…