Hope Elizabeth May
2017 US Scholar Program
Central Michigan University
Brief Self-Introduction
I am a Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy, Anthropology and Religion at Central Michigan University where I have been for over twenty-five years.
I was honored to serve as a Fulbright Lecturer and International Scholar at the Graduate Institute of Peace Studies (GIP) at Kyung Hee University in Namyangju, South Korea, during 2017-2018. My project, The Virtues of Untold Stories: The Peace History of Korea and the United States, centered on uncovering the “erased positive history,” which is a part of the “peace and justice history” of Korea and the U.S.. At GIP, an English-speaking graduate school, I taught a seminar that explored these untold stories, highlighting the ethical and historical importance of Korea’s contributions to international peace and justice. I also taught a class devoted to Korea’s March 1st Movement of 1919. Known by all Koreans, but virtually unknown to non-Koreans, the March 1st Movement was a non-violent, democratic movement against Japan’s colonialism that embraced reconciliation long before the era of Nelson Mandela. The March 1st Movement was strategically timed with the Paris Peace Conference and the negotiations surrounding the Treaty of Versailles (ending World War I), and remains one of the most important yet unknown stories of international ethics.
Motivation to Apply for the Fulbright Program
My journey toward applying to the Fulbright program in Korea began with my research on the Peace through Law Movement. This interest, which emerged mid-life, was sparked by exposure to international law during law school and deepened through my travels to The Hague, Netherlands and my time as a Visiting Professional in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The Peace through Law Movement, which hosted pivotal Peace Conferences in The Hague in 1899 and 1907, is deeply intertwined with Korea’s history, as I learned during my time in The Hague. Korea’s attempt to participate in the 1907 Hague Conference, only to be shut out by international powers, began a pattern of exclusion that continued even after World War II.
This little-known story has captivated me since 2012 and has transformed my life, leading to numerous invited talks in Korea and ultimately laying the foundation for my Fulbright project. I owe my decision to apply to a Fulbright ETA, to Ben Harris, who was my student at Central Michigan University in 2013 and a Fulbrighter in Korea in 2014. Ben encouraged me to pursue this opportunity, and his own inspiration came from another Fulbrighter, Stephanie Jaczowski (2013 Poland), also a student at Central Michigan University at the time. These connections enriched my sense of the Fulbright program as an interconnected global community of scholars.
Some Memorable Fulbright experiences during my grant:
A deeply transformative moment occurred when my student at GIP, Park Gwang Ik, introduced me to Ham Sok Hon, a Korean Quaker and peace activist. Over lunch, I shared the story of how a Quaker had given to Gandhi Tolstoy’s book The Kingdom of God is Within You, which proved to be a pivotal moment in Gandhi’s life. Park responded by introducing me to Ham Sok Hon. This sparked months of research, which included a fortuitous meeting in Seoul with Dr. Kim Sung Soo, one of a handful of scholars who has written about Ham in English. Dr. Kim invited me to the Quaker “Monthly Meeting” in which Ham participated, and I met others there that have since become friends and colleagues. Ham’s life has deeply influenced my intellectual and spiritual journey, and learning about him has helped me to more deeply understand Korea’s peace and democracy history, and the role of philosophy and religion therein.
Another highlight was traveling to Baeksok University in Cheonan, home to the Ryu Gwansun Institute. In Korea, Ryu Gwansun is a national hero, and if you’re unfamiliar with her, I encourage you to look her up—The New York Times published an insightful piece about her in 2018, which is a great starting point. Accompanied by my interpreter, Hye-In “Heather” Kim, I learned about Kim Nansa from the then Director of the Institute, Dr. Park Chung-soon. As Dr. Park explained, Kim was one of Ryu’s teachers at Ewha High School, and a mentor to Ryu. In fact, she was the first Korean woman to earn an undergraduate degree in the United States (in 1903). Since that visit, I’ve done more research on Kim Nansa and have written, spoken, and taught students about her extraordinary legacy. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to uncover and share her story with others. Director Park informed me that I was the first Westerner to visit the Institute, and the statistical improbability of my visit deeply humbled me and impressed upon me a sense of duty to bring both Ryu Gwansun’s and Kim Nansa’s story to the consciousness of others.
Impact of Fulbright on My Personal and Professional Journey
My life has been profoundly enriched by the work I began during my Fulbright grant. The project, The Virtues of Untold Stories: The Peace History of Korea and the U.S., has continued to evolve, allowing me to explore how individual virtues transcend pain and trauma, and are integral to human flourishing. As I’ve continued my research, I’ve come to see the lives of individuals like Ham Sok Hon, Ryu Gwansun, Kim Nansa, and Kim Dae Jung in a new light. While I had a vague understanding of Kim Dae Jung’s significance in 2017, and his connection to Ham Sok Hon and other “consciences in action,” I now see these figures as integral to the “seedbed” of Korea’s history of peace, justice, and democracy, as well as the broader movement toward international peace and justice. Despite the immense hardships they faced, these individuals responded to brutality with humanity and fortitude, and hence offer universal lessons in human dignity and the meaning of the virtues.
My Fulbright experience has also expanded my professional network, both in Korea and the U.S. Since my grant, I have become a Fellow of the Institute of Corean-American Studies in Washington, D.C., a member of the Friends of Philip Jaisohn (which is part of the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation) in Philadelphia, PA, and an Advisory Board member of the Kim Dae Jung Academy in Seoul.
Perhaps most profoundly, my Fulbright experience has transformed and enriched my teaching. Upon returning to Central Michigan University in 2018, I designed a course for Honors students that evolved from the classes I originally taught at GIP. Connected to this is an international project called “Forward Into Memory,” originally developed at GIP, which includes a resource website, forwardintomemory.com that provides the learning framework for this approach to modern Korean history. As part of the “Forward Into Memory” project, I have been exploring the use of technology, including AI, to develop innovative educational audio-visual materials that highlight the inspiring individuals at the heart of Korea’s peace and justice history.
It has been deeply rewarding to see students engage with these narratives. One standout example is Chloe McKinley, who, after studying abroad at Yonsei University, is currently completing her own Fulbright ETA in Korea, and has cited Ham Sok Hon as a key source of inspiration. She herself gave an “ ”ETA Insight” presentation” in Korea in January 2024 in which she shared the “Forward Into Memory” project and the individuals who inspired her with fellow Fulbright ETAs in Korea. This “full circle” moment illustrates that the Fulbright Korea program is an energetic space which fosters “genuine encounters” that transcend boundaries of time and space.
I am currently working with Dr. Won Paik, a retired political science professor from Central Michigan University, to translate and publish, for the first time in English, a significant personal narrative about the No Gun Ri incident during the Korean War. This project is another step in my commitment to highlighting the virtues of individuals as an essential part of international history and ethics. These stories, I believe, are just as critical—if not more so—than the historical struggles of which they are a part. By uncovering and sharing them, I hope to contribute to a more balanced and humane understanding of history, one that recognizes not just the atrocities but also the virtues of character that can inspire us all.
As we approach 2025, marking the 75th anniversary of both the Fulbright Program in Korea and the beginning of the Korean War, I am reminded of the profound duality at the heart of both Korea’s and the United States’ history—the delicate balance of virtue and atrocity, strength and suffering, much like the Taeguk symbol. The stories of individuals such as Ham Sok Hon, Ryu Gwansun, Kim Nansa, Kim Dae Jung, and others, are vital to understanding this history, and I believe they deserve to be recognized far beyond the Korean context, inspiring global conversations about peace, justice, and resilience. I am deeply grateful to the Fulbright Program for helping me to engage in this deeply meaningful and inspiring work and I congratulate the Fulbright program in Korea on its 75th anniversary.
