Two Thursdays ago, I met with Dr. Nickerson to have an orientation for my new duties as a research assistant for this semester as part of the History 298 internship program. Dr. Nickerson is currently working on a project for publication regarding the Camden 28, a group of Catholic-left activists who raided a federal draft board office in 1971, in order to disrupt the recruiting of soldiers during the late Vietnam War era. What is most intriguing about this subject to me is the motivation of these activists -- their faith. While Catholicism, with some exceptions, is often viewed as a conservative, right-leaning influence in American politics, these devout Catholics (and a few Protestants) were motivated by that same faith in order to both bring attention to their left-leaning cause of ending the war, and to directly tamper with the drafting process itself.
I'm very excited to be working with Dr. Nickerson on this project, as I find the material itself to be very engaging and I am eager to gain insight into the level of professionalism required on a project of such high caliber. My main duties for aiding Dr. Nickerson in her research will be to profile eight members of the Camden 28 for her by using primary sources such as census records, newspaper articles, obituaries, and even finding their contact information when possible.
Beyond my orientation, I've done some research to familiarize myself with the topic by watching a documentary on the Camden 28 (per Dr. Nickerson's suggestion), gathering some materials from Cudahy Library, and reading Dr. Nickerson's work on the group she has completed so far. Dr. Nickerson has also generously donated several folders to me in which I will soon be filling up with the profiles and copies of the primary sources!!!
