Can we represent the Holocaust and the WWII past through a contemporary lens? What constitutes appropriate historical representation? In her talk, “Remembering the WWII Past through Popular Media,” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Fresno State Library, Room 2206, Dr. Amila Becirbegovic explores how contemporary generations frame the history of World War II and the Holocaust through popular representations, such as social media, comedies, comics, films and video games. She addresses how we materialize history, take on memories of events that we would otherwise have no direct access to and how contemporary generations consume and circulate the WWII past.
Dr. Becirbegovic is a German and Genocide and Human Rights Professor at California State University, Fresno. She works at the intersection of genocide studies and visual culture, analyzing how social media and popular culture influence representations of war and genocide. Her personal experiences as a survivor of genocide and a Bosnian refugee in Germany have given her a unique perspective and have deeply shaped her teaching and community efforts.
The talk is part of the “Americans and the Holocaust” traveling exhibition for libraries through the American Libary Association and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The talk is in partnership with the Fresno County Public Library and is free and open to the public.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 