The Project
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Why Phillis Wheatley Peters?
Phillis Wheatley arrived in Boston from her African homeland in July 1761. Though only about seven or eight years old, she was transported with other captives aboard the ship Phillis as part of an ongoing push to make slavery central to the economies, politics, and daily life in North America. Purchased by a New England merchant, John Wheatley, and “given” to his wife Susanna, the young girl found herself far from her West African home, suddenly immersed in a foreign culture where--however benign the Wheatleys themselves may have viewed their relationship to the young girl--she was, in fact, enslaved.
Though we cannot recover much of Phillis Wheatley’s personal or family history prior to what must have been a terrifying transatlantic journey, we do know reasons why she remarkably became, as a young adolescent, a celebrity author, first in her new “home” city of Boston, and, not long afterwards, internationally. |
About Our Project
“The Genius of Phillis Wheatley Peters” embodies both an honoring of the poet and her legacies and an opportunity to spotlight the learning power and the significance of literature in our lives. Through a partnership of the University of Georgia and TCU, this project also celebrates the efficacy of collaborative learning informed by a participatory vision of the humanities and the arts. Our codirectors, contributing team members, and many sponsoring groups and organizations have come together in shared learning throughout the 2023 anniversary year of Wheatley Peters’s Poems--and beyond
Sharing Resources
We invite visitors to the website to return often; we’ll continue to add resources throughout 2023, including information about scholarship on Wheatley Peters, teaching resources, and links to general-interest readings.
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Activities
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Upcoming Events – April 3 & 4
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One goal of our project is to foster many connections in line with our vision of participatory humanities. Thus, most events during 2023 will employ a virtual format and will be recorded for continued access. Others will be hybrid, allowing a blend of in-person attendance and online participation; a few will be in-person only. Our range of activities aims to invite diverse audiences to join in the study of Wheatley Peters and her era as an important example of how voices originally speaking from marginalized positions generate valuable cultural legacies.
Download an Overview of Our Events Below!
| wheatley_peters_all_events_overview.pdf |
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Codirectors
Barbara McCaskill
Professor of English (UGA) |
Mona Narain
Professor of English (TCU) |
Susan Rosenbaum
Associate Professor of English (UGA) |
Sarah Ruffing-Robbins
Professor of English (TCU) |
Photo Credit: "Phillis Wheatley, Poet at Work" by Lorraine DiSabato
Check the “Activities” Tab to view our calendar of events and link up to recordings of some past events. |
Join a litany of Wheatley scholars to celebrate her 250-year anniversary!
