Faculty Profiles

February 15, 2013

ISSR Research Scholar, Archaeologist Focuses on Anthropology through Race, Gender and Class

“Archaeology is often thought of as ‘exotic’—far away from the everyday, in Egypt or Israel, Greece or Europe,” says assistant professor Whitney Battle-Baptiste (anthropology), a member of the first class of Research Scholars sponsored by the Institute for Social Science Research in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “I see African Diaspora archaeology as a vehicle for social justice, a way to make the discipline relevant to those we have traditionally talked about instead of talked to. It’s about interpretation, about how different communities and stakeholders see a given site.”

One of only about twenty black archaeologists with PhDs in the U.S., Battle-Baptiste seeks an archaeology that is relevant to contemporary communities, one that uses material from the past to muddle accepted ideas about places, regions and populations. “Archaeology can teach incredible lessons by using tangible items to open up dialogues for young and old,” she says, noting that she’s not shy about speaking up and asking uncomfortable questions.

Seeing her research and teaching as parts of a whole, Battle-Baptiste says, “Some of my research topics are ‘touchy.’ They are not simple or straight to the point. When we critically think and interrogate issues such as race, gender or class—identities often treated separately but which I intersect—things get complicated. Students engage in critical thinking and often apply what they have learned to different aspects of their lives. This is real talk and real-life academics.”

Archaeology can change so much, because more than being about things, it is about people, she believes. “I have been invested in making sure my work involves engagement. For example, activities out at the Du Bois Homestead in Great Barrington, which is owned by UMass, encompass understanding complex ideas and opinions of the local and associated communities. Certainly, we have supporters of the effort to commemorate the homestead, but for political reasons others do not agree with the glorification of Du Bois. Acting as a facilitator opens up dialogue.”

Battle-Baptiste, whose book Black Feminist Archaeology (Left Coast Press) was released in 2011 to great reviews, began her affiliation with UMass in 2007. “UMass was my first choice,” she says. “I love that it is a public institution with some of the highest caliber researchers in the country. The Five College system impressed me, the Amherst area seemed laid back, and I was impressed by the work coming from the Anthropology Department. I’ve been able to grow as a scholar and a teacher. I’m closely tied to the W.E.B. Du Bois Center, housed in the library on campus and am interested in expanding our collaborative relationships in places like Springfield, Pittsfield, Great Barrington and even New Bedford, all of which have had vibrant African American communities for generations and contact with Du Bois.”

As one of the first class of ISSR Research scholars, Battle-Baptiste is deeply engaged in an interdisciplinary seminar that meets regularly through the academic year to develop research grant proposals. “I see ISSR helping me make the idea of an archaeological field school accessible to underrepresented groups that have never thought about digging as an option during the hot summer months. I am developing a National Science Foundation, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) proposal to cover the cost of the Du Bois Heritage Archaeology Field School for the summer of 2014. For students, then, the REU will provide the means to participate in the field school, provide room, board and transportation, and more. I am excited about the possibility and am very happy to have a group of faculty to help me through the journey of writing my first NSF grant.”

Life for Battle-Baptiste is full, to say the least. The mother of three young children, she is co-editor of the African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter and is very engaged in the American Anthropological Association’s Committee on Minority Issues and Affairs. Admittedly entrenched in all forms of social media (follow her on Twitter @blackfemarch) and her blog (whitneybattlebaptiste.com), she says it allows her work to reach audiences beyond the classroom. In fact, she’s working on ways to creatively include social media into the classroom. “Letting students tweet class content, for example, can be a huge plus. A hashtag can change things!”

In the throes of preparing for tenure, Battle-Baptiste is working hard to make sure all of her bases are covered. “I couldn’t do it all without the support of my incredible husband, who has his own set of obligations, and my mother who is now in the Amherst area,” she says. “Friends and our extended family help too. It truly takes a village to raise children and get tenure!”