Historians in the News

When Monuments Become the Narrative (review)

"Leopold’s Legacy" by Oliver Leu is the most timely of books. It details how Belgian monuments to empire sustain narratives that abdicate responsibility, divert blame, and ultimately deny Belgium’s role in the mutilation and murder of millions of people.

The History of Black Women and Internationalism (Review)

by Robert Greene II

A new collected volume examines international connections between women activists in the African diaspora. 

Russian Historian Jailed In Controversial Sex Abuse Case

In May, more than 150 Russians, including artists, actors and writers wrote an open letter to the court in support of the historian, saying they were "sure the accusations… are unfair and should be dismissed by the court".

A Century Ago, One Lawmaker Went After the Most Powerful Cops in Texas. Then They Went After Him.

by Tim Murphy

The Texas Rangers were vicious enforcers of white power. J.T. Canales was the only Mexican American in the legislature. He lost the fight, but the reckoning he sought is finally underway. Historians Monica Muñoz Martinez and Doug Swanson explain.

“For Those on Both Sides”: An Interview with Mary Ziegler about Abortion and the Law in America

Recently, Florida State University law professor Mary Ziegler sat down with Nursing Clio to talk about her new book, Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present. The book illustrates how the question of “abortion rights” is only one piece of the puzzle – rather both antiabortion and pro-choice advocates have spent decades in a tug-of-war over policy, funding issues, and larger questions about public health.

A 'Very Dark History': Oregon's Racist Past Fuels Ongoing Protests Against Injustice In Portland

Christopher McKnight Nichols, who teaches history at Oregon State University and splits time between the school’s base in Corvallis and Portland, said the long trail of discrimination in Oregon informed the protests in a liberal city long known for its activism.

Planned Parenthood To Remove Margaret Sanger’s Name From N.Y. Clinic Over Eugenics Support

“The problem with Sanger was she was so single minded that she was willing to align herself with anybody,” Margaret Sanger Papers Project founder Esther Katz said. “These are problematic positions. She did speak to the Klan. But I think obliterating her...doesn’t allow us to discuss this in any way or debate it.”

‘Woefully Uninformed’: Kanye West Slammed for Saying Harriet Tubman ‘Never Actually Freed the Slaves’

“Kanye West is in desperate need of a crash course in American History,” said historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar.

Living History Or Playing War, Brooksville Raid Reenactment Ends After 40 Years

Glenn LaFantasie and Kevin M. Levin comment on Civil War Reenactments as a 40 year-old Florida event is cancelled in 2020. 

Memphis Marker Noting Nathan Bedford Forrest's Slave Trading Apparently Vandalized

Historian Tim Huebner, who was involved in the placement of the marker, believes it was broken intentionally.

Reginald Moore, Sugar Land 95 Activist and “a People’s Historian,” Leaves Behind a Legacy of Endurance

Armed with a voice and passion both larger than life, Moore began a community’s crusade to demand historical recognition from city officials, and pioneered a new chapter in Texas history. Rice University Professor Caleb McDaniel says "it's worth stressing what he brought to Rice" by partering with the university to develop an archive of his efforts to memorialize the convict-lease system.

Who Were the Freedom Riders?

Representative John Lewis was among the 13 original Freedom Riders, who encountered violence and resistance as they rode buses across the South, challenging the nation’s segregation laws.

Historians Debate America's History of Racism and Confederate Monuments

Experts interviewed by ABC News say erasing the past isn't the answer to calls for justice, police reform and an end to structural racism.

President's Statement on SHEAR 2020

by Douglas R. Egerton

The President of the Society for the History of the Early American Republic responds to the controversy provoked by Daniel Feller's remarks in the organization's virtual plenary session, which included repeated quotations of racial slurs from primary sources, a defense of Andrew Jackson, and harsh words for unnamed historians writing for the broader public.

‘The Pandemic Could Get Much Worse’: Public Health Historian On Whether Another Lockdown Is The Only Way To Avoid Catastrophe

Public health historian John Barry is the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”

The Open Mind (Reprinted from 1949)

by J. Robert Oppenheimer

The former head of the Manhattan Project wrote about how to advance peace in the nuclear age, just four years after he directed the construction of the world’s first atomic bomb.

July 22: British Academy 10 Minute Talk: Art Historian, Professor, Writer, Spy – The Extraordinary Story of Anthony Blunt

Listen to a brief talk on the scandal that engulfed the British Academy when one of its members was revealed to be a Soviet spy. 

Historian Eric Foner Disputes ‘Fake History’ Of Reconstruction Era

Foner has dedicated much his career to correcting this mistaken notion Reconstruction was a failure through his work as an academic as well as by authoring numerous books. A professor emeritus of history at Columbia University, Foner is this year’s Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Lifetime Achievement winner.

Another Monument to White Supremacy That Should Come Down? The Electoral College

A new book by Harvard historian Alexander Keyssar examines the racist history of how Americans pick presidents.

Author James W. Loewen: Sundown Towns in Southern Illinois Should Acknowledge Racist Past, Take Steps to Change

“First, they need to admit it: Yes, we did this,” said Loewen.