Author, Jumping The Broom
The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual
This week, Ira spoke with Tyler D. Parry, author of Jumping The Broom, The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual (published by UNC Press). In this academic episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Tyler talks about the historical narratives vs memories of Jumping The Broom; viewing the tradition through the paradigm of resistance; the efforts of black writers to revisit the ritual; the unifying feature of jumping the broom; the importance of the community endorsing the marriage after the couple jumped the broom; the humanity of the ceremony itself; the revival of interest in the subject in the 60’s and 70’s; the booming heritage weddings industry in the 90 that featured it; the different groups around the world who utilized the ceremony; and the surprising results about the single origin point of the ritual.
Tyler D. Parry is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, he received a B.A. in History (summa cum laude) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He then headed toward the Atlantic and earned a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 2014. His research examines slavery in the Americas, cultures in the African diaspora, the historical memory of slavery in the United States, and the histories of resistance undertaken by oppressed populations.
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