What Made Slow Constitution?

This talk examines the interarticulation of race and disability in the transnational 19th century, particularly around the notion of “slowness.” It concentrates on the work of John Langdon Down, known for defining modern-day Down Syndrome as “mongoloid idiocy.” The framing questions of the talk that relate toxicity and intoxication are part of Chen’s larger current book project on chemical intimacies. Professor Mel Y. Chen, Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies, University of California at Berkeley.