USU alumna receives Fulbright honor
A USU graduate received the Fulbright Scholarship for research done in South Africa concerning the Black Consciousness Movement, which took place in the early 1970s.
Leslie Hadfield graduated from Utah State in 2002 and went on to study the psychological liberation movement in South Africa.
“It took place in a time where there was a lull in the liberation movement,” Hadfield said.
The movement was started by a young, black medical student who placed emphasis on the psychological liberation of blacks in South Africa, Hadfield said. There was also great importance placed on the idea of blacks becoming self-reliant economically, developing some of their own industry and becoming less dependent on the whites who had the political power, she said.
In the movement, a leather-working factory and a medical clinic were started, Hadfield said. The clinic was later taken over by the government and the leather factory was destroyed, she said.
“‘We’re still asking why they destroyed the factory,'” Hadfield said one of her informants told her.
Hadfield said the reason for the factory’s destruction was likely a political movement against budding self-reliance of the group.
“The government felt threatened by the popular movement of the black people,” Hadfield said.
The movement took place in a critical time when Nelson Mandela and other influential leaders were in prison, Hadfield said. There are few historical traces left of the movement because the government destroyed most of the documents, she said, and most of the history is only preserved orally.
“I interviewed about 60 people that were directly and indirectly involved,” she said.
The Fulbright Scholarship is an award given to students doing graduate-level work and research about another country. It is a program funded by the federal government and other nations, according to the Fulbright Scholarship Web site. Any student that has at least a bachelor’s degree and is working on research in another country can apply for the award.
“I once heard that when you go to another country you should go with your mouth closed and your eyes and ears open,” said Hadfield.
The development of an important, relevant and impacting research question is also critical when planning to apply for the Fulbright Scholarship, she said.
“One thing that is important are professors that can guide you in your field of study. It is also important to have a good research question,” Hadfield said. “It takes a long time and it’s a lot of hard work.”
According to the scholarship’s Web site, there are about 20 awards given each year. However, this varies depending on the amount of funding received for that year.
Jennifer Ritterhouse, associate professor of history and one of Hadfields’ former professors, said Hadfield was an innovative and ambitious student that avidly pursed her education.
“She was somewhat quiet, but also deeply thoughtful and, best of all, curious. She was always eager to learn and to try out new ideas,” Ritterhouse said.
–seth.bracken@aggiemail.usu.edu