SOIC Colloquia IUPUI

Dr. Mullins will discuss his research on African American heritage in Indianapolis’ near-Westside and his community-based oral histories, documentary research, and archaeological excavation examining the African American community and its displacement in the post-war period. Mullins uses archival sources and ethnography to examine the intersection of space, place, and urban renewal in Indianapolis. He will share a researcher's perspective on community history and discuss use of archival resources, broadly defined, in his local work.

About Paul Mullins

Mullins is a historical archaeologist who studies consumer culture in the last half-millennium.  This includes research on the intersection of material consumption and the color line; contemporary material culture and dark history; and the relationship between popular culture and materiality in the contemporary world. With a 2016-2017 fellowship, Mullins examined Invisible Indianapolis, neighborhoods impacted by factors including real estate “redlining,” racial and religious discrimination, postwar highway construction, and gentrification. He is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI).