Holly E. Burgess's, B.A.,M.A.PHD Dissertation Defense
oCTOBER 6, 2026
Dissertation Title: “Transcribing Brutality: Violence, Martyrdom, and Legacy in Black Literature and Social Movements”
Dissertation
Dissertation committee
Areas of Specialization
20th and 21st Century African American Literature; Black Studies; Hip Hop Studies; Film Studies, LGBTQ+ and Gender Studies; Popular Culture.
Dissertation Abstract
My dissertation, “Transcribing Brutality,” examines Black social movements from the Black Power Movement to the Black Lives Matter Movement (1960s–present) through a literary genealogy of Black activism. I analyze how successive generations of Black activists, musicians, and writers respond to state violence and police brutality within their communities and social organizations.
HER DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
dIRECTOR
Associate Professor of English,
Arizona State University
co-dIRECTOR:
Harry G. John Professor of History and
Director of CURTO,
Marquette University
committee member:
Associate Professor, Literature and Languages Department,
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside
committee member:
Associate Professor, English,
Marquette University
Committee Scholarship
-
!["Rhetorical Crossover" by Dr. Cedric D. Burrows]()
"Rhetorical Crossover" by Dr. Cedric D. Burrows
-
!["Black Liberation from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter (Debating American History Series)" by Dr. Robert S. Smith]()
"Black Liberation from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter (Debating American History Series)" by Dr. Robert S. Smith
-
!["Race, Labor, and Civil Rights: Griggs versus Duke Power and the Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity (Making the Modern South)" by Dr. Robert S. Smith]()
"Race, Labor, and Civil Rights: Griggs versus Duke Power and the Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity (Making the Modern South)" by Dr. Robert S. Smith
-
!["Hypermasculinities in the Contemporary Novel: Cormac McCarthy, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin (Contemporary American Literature)" by Dr. Josef Benson]()
"Hypermasculinities in the Contemporary Novel: Cormac McCarthy, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin (Contemporary American Literature)" by Dr. Josef Benson
-
!["J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History" by Dr. Josef Benson]()
"J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History" by Dr. Josef Benson
-
!["Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture" by Dr. Josef Benson]()
"Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture" by Dr. Josef Benson
-
!["Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels" by Dr. Josef Benson]()
"Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels" by Dr. Josef Benson
-
!["Infinity Land: The Untold Story of Jeffrey Dahmer" by Dr. Josef Benson]()
"Infinity Land: The Untold Story of Jeffrey Dahmer" by Dr. Josef Benson
-
!["Novel Bodies: Disability and Sexuality in Eighteenth-Century British Literature (Transits: Literature, Thought & Culture, 1650-1850)" by Dr. Jason Farr]()
"Novel Bodies: Disability and Sexuality in Eighteenth-Century British Literature (Transits: Literature, Thought & Culture, 1650-1850)" by Dr. Jason Farr
Dissertation defense schedule:
Logistics and Public Access Links are currently undergoing Institutional Review to ensure compliance with specialized venue requirements and Administrative Oversight Directives.
Legacy Holders: Defense Registry & Priority Notification
Please fill out the form below to be added to Holly E. Burgess’s official mailing list for finalized dissertation defense details and the virtual launch.
Due to specialized venue requirements and the ongoing Institutional Review, verified RSVP links and attendance briefings will be distributed exclusively to this registry.
Holly e. burgess
Ph.D. Candidate & Independent Scholar
Research: Black Literature & Social Movements
Dissertation: "Transcribing Brutality: Violence, Martyrdom, and Legacy in Black Literature and Social Movements"
Web:hollyeburgess.com
EMAIL: holly-burgess@outlook.com
she/her
Become Holly’s Legacy Holder!
NOTE: For booking, please see the lecture page and lecture form.
This contact form is for Legacy Holders only.
“The people are the makers of world history.”
“Transcribing Brutality” mixtape
