For the annual Parker Lecture, the history department invites a notable historian to deliver a lecture about their work on different historical eras, naturally leading to mixed feelings among the student body depending on personal interests. This year, Haverford welcomed Dr. Caroline Elkins, professor of History and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.
Dr. Elkins’ lecture highlighted her groundbreaking work as a leading figure in the history of British colonialism in Kenya. Specifically, she was responsible for investigating and exposing the systematic torture used in British detention camps during the Mau Mau uprisings, justified through the concepts of “states of exception” or “legalized lawlessness,” which allow governments to establish authoritarian levels of control and overstep many legal barriers. The meticulous and rigorous research across British archives and other sources of evidence that the British failed to erase is detailed in her numerous publications, namely Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya.
Elkins’ distinguished work served as the basis for legal claims filed by survivors of the Mau Mau detention camps against the British government, an ordeal that ultimately led to a 20-million-pound cash payment and a monument dedicated to the victims of the camps.
This unique lecture was largely coordinated by History Department Chair Ms. Hannah Turlish.
“ I wanted someone who went a little bit away from the United States to have a more global perspective,” Ms. Turlish said. ”What I liked about Dr. Elkins, once I learned more about her, is the fact that her work led to actual tangible results in a court of law. And I really can’t say that there are other historians like that.”
While Dr. Elkins noted the controversy surrounding her work, her presentation was well-received at Haverford.
“ Standing there on the side during the lecture, I got a sense that Centennial was with her,” Ms. Turlish said. “The student body was interested and engaged, and I’m hoping that [they] collectively saw it as a positive experience. I know [many] students, especially seniors, who said it was the best [lecture] they’ve seen in four years.”
“Her career demonstrates how you should pursue what you are passionate about and keep going if you know you are right.” – Hugh Williams ’27
Aside from her lecture in Centennial Hall, Dr. Elkins also engaged with students more personally at a separate evening lecture and a lunch. Students who found both her lectures to be particularly interesting could freely ask her questions about her work at lunch, and many noted their respect for the scope of her research.
“I found it especially interesting how she talked about her process of arguing and proving her point, and just how much time and research goes into doing what she did,” Fifth Former Daniel Khan said. “She kind of gave everyone a peek into what it means to be a historian and what it means to do historiography as well.”
Many students also admired the boldness of Dr. Elkins’ work.
“Her career demonstrates how you should pursue what you are passionate about and keep going if you know you are right,” Fifth Former Hugh Williams said. “If she stopped because of any of the pressures she was facing, the information about what the British did in Africa might never have been released.”