An Interview with Dr. Aram Goudsouzian

By Vahram Emiyan

 Dr. Aram Goudsouzian is an assistant professor of history at the University of Memphis. The young Armenian American historian teaches courses in African American history, including the History of the Civil Rights Movement and The Black Athlete in American History. He has a B.A. from Colby College and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. The author of Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon (2004) and The Hurricane of 1938 (2004), he has written book chapters and journal articles on race relations through the lens of sport and film. Dr. Goudsouzian’s fields of specialty include also American Popular Culture and Modern US history. He is currently writing a biography of the basketball star and black icon Bill Russell.

I was surprised to find an Armenian living in Memphis, Tennessee and interested to hear the views of an Armenian expert in African American history.

■ Vahram Emiyan: It is interesting to see an Armenian whose field of interest and expertise is African-American history. What do you find interesting about African-American history?

● Dr. Aram Gousouzian: As I often tell my students, you cannot understand American history without understanding African American history.  The issues of slavery, racial citizenship, and civil rights influence every contour of American history: politics, economic development, social change, cultural trends.

■ V.Emiyan: When did you start to be interested in African-American history?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: I grew interested in African American history through my fascination with American popular culture.  In graduate school I wanted to learn more about how Americans used the institutions of popular culture such as films, sports, music, and television to understand themselves and their world.  African Americans have shaped so much of this culture that it drove me toward an appreciation of that historical experience.

■ V.Emiyan: Are the majority of your students African-Americans? How do they react to an Armenian teaching them about their history?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: Memphis is a city that is approximately half black, so there are many African American students at the university.  The racial proportions depend on the class, but classes in African American history typically have a majority of black students.  Many students are curious about why I teach African American history, but they tend to appreciate good teachers whatever their racial background.

■ V.Emiyan: In what way did sports, the film and music industry contribute to the civil rights movement?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: The civil rights movement, in its quest to obtain legal rights for African Americans, had to capture the attention of a broad segment of the American population.  The mass demonstrations in the South helped win sympathy and political support for this quest.  Films and music could have a similar, if more ambiguous, effect.  They often opened white Americans to the possibility of some sort of racial fellowship.  Rock and roll music, for instance, attracted fans across the racial spectrum.

■ V.Emiyan: What event or figure in your view is the turning point of the civil rights movement?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: It is difficult to pinpoint one turning point, as the civil rights movement built upon its past triumphs and struggles.  But the year 1963 helped transform much of the nation’s racial conscience.  In that year Martin Luther King’s organization, known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, launched a massive civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama.  People throughout the world were shocked by the resulting news footage of marchers getting struck with water from high-powered fire hoses, women getting attacked by police dogs, and nonviolent children getting arrested.  That same year the March on Washington took place.  The peaceful demonstration placed the black freedom struggle in the nation’s sights.

■ V.Emiyan: Ever since Sidney Poitier & Halle Berry won Oscars we are witnessing a stream of African-American nominees and winners. How do you assess these developments?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: There is some optimism that black actors and actresses are getting recognized for their work, and also that Hollywood is opening up more fully-rounded roles for them.  Yet many of the same historic limitations remain upon black performers.  Hollywood scripts rarely allow African American stars the same narrative arcs of romance and character complexity that white actors enjoy.

■ V.Emiyan: After having African-American secretaries of state such as Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, Morgan Freeman playing the role of US president in the movie “Deep Impact”, and Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy for the presidency, can we say that the American society is slowly being prepared for an African-American ascending to the post of US president?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: It is certainly possible for Mr. Obama to win the presidency.  His race will be a central issue, even if it is rarely mentioned.  On one hand, racism will keep some voters from considering him.  On the other hand, his race gives him an appeal and charismatic legitimacy that is the envy of his competitors.

■ V.Emiyan: Before having an African-American president or at least a candidate who has reached the final round of presidential elections, can we say that the whole racial discrimination issue is resolved?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: We cannot.  Modern racial problems in the United States revolve less around resentment toward public figures, and much more so over the persistent problems of unemployment, poor education, and poor housing.  Even as the black middle class consistently grows, African Americans suffer disproportionately from these conditions.

■ V.Emiyan: Until now I had never heard of an Armenian living in Tennessee.   What can you say about the Armenian-American community of Tennessee?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: It is small!  There are few Armenians in Memphis, but those Armenians that I have met have welcomed me like family. 

■ V.Emiyan: As a historian, have you ever thought of writing about the Armenian-American history which dates back to the early 1900s?

● Dr.Goudsouzian: Yes, someday I would like to write about the Armenian American experience.  It is a part of me, and I would relish the chance to reach my fellow Armenians with my historical research.