Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Toronto
Sophie Jordan, a PhD student in Germanic Languages and Literatures, has been awarded the 2024 Innovative German Award by German Studies Canada (GSC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for her project ‘Reading Blackness and Race in Germanic Arthurian Romance’.
The award focuses on new courses, curriculum and program development, and the implementation of new teaching and learning approaches in German Studies.
Based on original research, Sophie’s project ‘Reading Blackness and Race in Germanic Arthurian Romance’ aims to make teaching about blackness in medieval German and Dutch literature accessible to a wide range of post-secondary educators. To this end, Sophie has created a series of free and fully adaptable interactive materials as well as detailed lesson plans hosted on Pressbooks. The goal of these materials is to highlight the diversity of Germanic experiences and peoples reflected in the literature of the High Middle Ages. Instructors teaching courses on diversity in German culture, on medieval German studies, or on other related topics, can now access, use and adapt these materials without the need for further research and with very minimal preparation.
The knowledge that 13th and 14th-century writers portrayed complex, multi-faceted yet successful black Arthurian knights will support students’ grasp of issues such as diversity and inclusivity in the past, present, and future, with the broader aim of better understanding and ultimately combatting racism. The lessons encourage learners to start thinking about how skin colour relates to the concept of race via a discussion-focused approach and a series of short readings in the original Middle Dutch language. Some of the central elements of Critical Race Theory are introduced, bringing awareness to an important and rapidly growing field. In addition, these materials expose learners to an under-represented Germanic language, along with excerpts of a rarely studied medieval text, the Middle Dutch Moriaen. Due to its close linguistic connections both with English and German, Middle Dutch is an ideal, accessible and fun addition to any medievalist or Germanist’s skillset.
Explore a detailed introduction to “Reading Blackness and Race in Germanic Arthurian Romance” and gain access to the teaching materials and lesson plans.
