Renowned Caribbean prof. shares experiences
Knight credits Elsa Vesta Goveia, a preeminent Caribbean historian, for encouraging and inspiring him to study Caribbean history. Knight's alignment with and interest in Goveia's work was enough to spark his interest in the entire Caribbean region.
Because of his friendship with Goveia, Knight had the opportunity to write a detailed paper on Caribbean history. Soon after, Knight's interest was drawn to Latin America as well, partially due the fact that he had been fluent in Spanish from a young age.
When faced with a choice of regions of focus during his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Knight therefore chose Latin America and Africa.
Knight teaches a "unique brand" of history. Knight believes that although political history is significant, it is not as relevant to the Americas, causing him to focus his historical research on the areas of social and economic history rather than on traditional political history.
"What is important in the history of the Americas, even after independence, is that everything seems to follow economic and social cycles," he said.
Knight's path to becoming a world-renowned Caribbean historian has been punctuated by his leadership positions, some of which have been controversial.
Knight was almost expelled while participating in an on-campus political organization as an undergraduate. Due to political instability in the area, Knight's university's gates had been chained shut. When the key to those chains had been stolen and then lost, blame was passed to Knight and five of his peers.
The president of the University called the six students before him and instructed them to come to school the following day in their official academic robes at which point they would be officially expelled.
"It is easy to expel six students but it is much more difficult to expel 600," Knight said. "The next day in the chancellors office six students did not show up ready to receive their expulsion, but 600 equal peers."
Because of his friendship with Goveia, Knight had the opportunity to write a detailed paper on Caribbean history. Soon after, Knight's interest was drawn to Latin America as well, partially due the fact that he had been fluent in Spanish from a young age.
When faced with a choice of regions of focus during his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Knight therefore chose Latin America and Africa.
Knight teaches a "unique brand" of history. Knight believes that although political history is significant, it is not as relevant to the Americas, causing him to focus his historical research on the areas of social and economic history rather than on traditional political history.
"What is important in the history of the Americas, even after independence, is that everything seems to follow economic and social cycles," he said.
Knight's path to becoming a world-renowned Caribbean historian has been punctuated by his leadership positions, some of which have been controversial.
Knight was almost expelled while participating in an on-campus political organization as an undergraduate. Due to political instability in the area, Knight's university's gates had been chained shut. When the key to those chains had been stolen and then lost, blame was passed to Knight and five of his peers.
The president of the University called the six students before him and instructed them to come to school the following day in their official academic robes at which point they would be officially expelled.
"It is easy to expel six students but it is much more difficult to expel 600," Knight said. "The next day in the chancellors office six students did not show up ready to receive their expulsion, but 600 equal peers."
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