Roundup

Stuck on the Rufo Road

by Jennifer Berkshire

As conservative activists mount a multi-front campaign to discredit and defund public education, too many leading Democrats seem unaware that the popularity of public education means they have a winning issue right in front of their faces, says an education historian and policy analyst. 

Twitter is Just Fine

by John Warner

Twitter "can be a terrible place, but it is also a place that – at least for me – has been far more welcoming and supportive of my academic pursuits than academia itself ever managed."

How to Be an Honest Historian

by Imani Perry

"At this historic juncture, teaching history through the study of human relationships is paramount. But that requires all of us, even people who are politically strident—as I admit myself to be—to engage in an earnest and open dialogue about what constitutes a good society and fair treatment. And it also means stomaching some disturbing thoughts."

The Christian Right's History is Bad Scholarship, But Great SCOTUS Lobbying

by Lauren R. Kerby

Two consequential court rulings hinged on historical interpretation of abortion and gun rights. The court's majority borrowed this history from the religious right's campaign to craft a historical narrative to justify white Protestant nationalism.

The Scholarly Infrastructure of the Humanities is Eroding

by Steven Mintz

The unpaid labor of peer review and journal editing used to be considered a professional obligation. Scholars today are less likely to see it that way. Why? What can be done? 

Think You Know the Biblical Position on Abortion? You May Be Surprised

by Melanie A. Howard

Although the Bible was written at a time when abortion was practiced, it never directly addresses the issue.

Can We Have International Cooperation Without Domination?

by Jamie Martin

There is no golden age of international relations free of the coercive power of capital. A different version of internationalism is needed. 

Why Biden Failed

by Adam Tooze

If Biden’s plan was to stabilize US democracy with progressive politics – an updated New Deal for the 21st century – the conclusion now must be that his presidency has failed.

The Roundup Top Ten for July 8, 2022

The top opinion writing by historians and about history from around the web this week. 

Looking Forward to the Semiquincentennial (after Looking Up What That Means)

by M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska

Will the observance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence be a moment of national unity or the moment when a simmering conflict over the nation's history erupts into open conflict? The key lies in using the commemoration to look forward. 

Is the Ukraine War the Start of a New Period of History?

by David A. Bell

The idea that the Russian invasion will be seen as a turning point by future scholars is tempting given the immediate seriousness of events. But two years ago, people were saying the same thing about the COVID pandemic. 

Politics and Priorities: The January 6 Hearings and American Values

by Walter G. Moss

Pragmatism does not mean acting without principles, but only openly, undogmatically. Is the glimmer of bipartisanship on display at the January 6 hearings a sign of hope?

Explaining the Complexities of the Great Vibe Shift

by Tom F. Wright

As pundits invoke the nebulous concept of "vibes" to try to explain and predict incoherent and emotionally volatile politics, it's worth considering how the outdated (but not very old!) concept of charisma has served the same role. 

Forget the Metaphorical Heat – The Literal Temperatures are the Problem

by Tom Engelhardt

"Somehow, in this country, climate change has yet to become a significant part of the national debate or mainstream politics."

Conservatives Attacking Pornography Carry on History of Politicized Moral Panics

by Kelsy Burke

Calls by J.D. Vance and other conservative politicians for bans on pornography echo the tactics and the failures of America's first anti-obscenity crusader, Anthony Comstock. 

SCOTUS's Religious Decisions are Part of War on Public Education

by Charles McCrary and Leslie Ribovich

"The court’s conservatives do not oppose secularism so much as they oppose public things. And so, that is what we ought to defend."

One Thing the US and Britain Share? Serious Racial Wealth Gaps

by Calvin Schermerhorn

In neither nation can inequality be seen as simply a legacy of enslavement; policy decisions in the more recent past have promoted the wealth gap. 

The Walls of Troy: Pandemic and Exclusion at an Urban University

by Arabella Delgado

The pandemic has clarified and underscored ways that the University of Southern California, like most private urban campuses, has long sought to maximize the separation between its campus and the surrounding community. 

What is the Meaning of America's Oldest July 4th Celebration?

by Ben Railton

Bristol, Rhode Island's patriotic festivities are the oldest Independence Day festivities in the nation, but the town's history sits at the uncomfortable intersection of independence with the slave trade and wars of extermination against Native Americans. 

Abortion Is Not Just About Privacy; It's About Freedom

by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

"If women cannot dictate this most basic aspect of their being, then the Supreme Court has effectively consigned them to a distinctly secondary tier of citizenship."