Historians in the News

Putin is a Product of Modernity (Not a Throwback to the Past)

"All the bad things we see around us are like ghosts from the past whose deathly grip on progress might frustrate it for a while, and with potentially terrible consequences, but cannot stop its wheels from eventually grinding on. This is, of course, total nonsense."

The Daily Show on Racism in Highway Building

Kevin Kruse contributes to the Daily Show's satirical take on the racist history of urban highway construction. 

The Biden White House Lends Support to Right to Organize a Union

Labor historian Erik Loomis discusses the release of a pro-union report by the White House Task Force on Worker Orgainzing and Empowerment. 

Good Luck Teaching Florida's History under State Legislation Blocking "Uncomfortable Themes"

by Gillian Brockell

In 2020, Ron DeSantis signed a bill requiring the history of the 1920 Ocoee Massacre be taught in Florida schools. Legislation pending this year would potentially enable parents to block the lessons, along with teaching other important episodes of violence in the state's history. 

Black Activists Used Lynching Souvenirs to Expose America's Racist Violence

Filmmaker Christine Turner has examined the souvenir postcards produced at lynchings for evidence of the planning and community sanction given to racist terrorism. 

"Blacks and Jews" Authors: Whoopi Not the Enemy, but Gaps of Understanding are Real

Attributing either the Holocaust or anti-Black racism to "man's inhumanity to man" ignores the specific roles of ideology and politics in creating systemic racism. The authors of a new book on Black-Jewish relations in America discuss how discourse goes astray between the general and the specific. 

The Legacy of the Black Elected Officials of Reconstruction

by Olivia B. Waxman and Arpita Aneja

The Supreme Court's decision to reject a challenge to Alabama's political districting map calls to mind the often violent politics that overthrew Reconstruction; the brief period when Black southerners elected their fellows to represent them stands as an example of what multiracial democracy means in practice.

Nevertheless, She Lifted: A Feminist Revisionist History of Exercise

Danielle Friedman's new book on exercise culture reads against the grain to argue that fitness has allowed women to exercise strength and push against social limits. A reviewer finds this compelling but only half the story. 

Biden Administration Offers Blueprint for Union Growth

Labor historian Erik Loomis argues that the Biden Administration's plans for executive action are a long-overdue nod to the needs of American workers, but legislation is needed because the next Republican administration can reverse course. 

Teaching Black History at a Mostly White College in Tennessee

How is African American History taught at a mostly white private college in Tennessee? 

Erin Gilliam of Kentucky State U. on African American Contributions to American Whiskey

Historian Erin Gilliam discusses the fruits of an oral history investigation of African Americans' experiences working in distilleries. 

Amplifying Voices on the Margins: Researching Cincinnati's Black History

Howard University's Nikki M. Taylor explains that the primary sources are often rife with racist perspectives, but can still offer insight into how local Black communities have worked for self-determination. 

"Not For Sale" Dramatizes the Costs of Opposing Segregation in 1960s Suburbia

Barbara Teed's play dramatizes her own family's history, which was shaped by a racist backlash to her father's advocacy for fair housing.

Teri Gross and Jeffrey Sachs Discuss New Legislation on Teaching History

Academic freedom advocate Jeffrey Sachs says that laws on teaching controversial subjects are most impactful because of their vagueness; teachers will be pushed to caution for fear of voilating indeterminate laws. 

Teaching Fannie Lou Hamer, Past and Present

by Nicole M. Gipson

Keisha N. Blain's biography of the Mississippi freedom activist is an important addition to the literature, but also an excellent roadmap to teaching African American history and its linkages to present struggles for justice. 

The Plans that Built Greater New York

New York's Regional Plan association has worked for a century to try to solve problems of development that span not just the five boroughs but three states. As Greater New York deals with climate-related infrastructure problems, its role is more vital than ever. 

Jonathan Katz Talks "Gangsters of Capitalism" with Chris Hayes

Jonathan Katz discusses his new biography of Smedley Butler, the Marine officer who pivoted from leading the fight for American empire to blowing the whistle on an alleged coup against FDR in 1934. 

As the Washington Football Team Rebrands, Remember an All-Native Pro Team from 100 Years Ago

Walter Lingo started the "Oorang Indians" in Ohio to promote his dog kennels, hired Jim Thorpe to play and coach, and launched an episode of sports history that highlights the tradeoffs Native athletes had to make between opportunity and participation in caricatured performances of "Indianness." 

Whack-a-Mole

by Rivka Galchen

Reviewer Rivka Galchen looks at two recent books that highlight the importance of cultural beliefs in the acceptance or rejection of vaccines. 

Carol Anderson Joins Mehdi Hasan to Discuss History Teaching Bans

The historian discusses the new Republican attacks on how schools teach about racism in American history.