Historians in the News

Glenn Youngkin's No-Guilt History of Virginia for Fragile White People

With help from historian and Virginian Ty Seidule, Post columnist Dana Milbank asks who is served by recently proposed state laws restricting the teaching of controversial historical topics. 

Will Senate Move Deborah Lipstadt Appointment to Global Antisemitism Panel?

Leading American Jewish organizations have stressed the need for leadership and scholarship in the face of antisemitic incidents worldwide, and urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to advance Dr. Lipstadt's nomination. 

One Black Historian's Hope for the Future: "Put Me Out of Business"

The president of a leading organization for African American history hopes that the story of Black America will be incorporated into national narratives and taught 12 months a year. 

Collin College Fires Another Outspoken Professor

Michael Phillips contends that his contract was not renewed because he had violated a "gag rule" by discussing the campus's COVID policies with his students. He had previously drawn criticism for his work advocating the removal of Confederate memorials in the city of Dallas.

New Exhibit Looks to Art as a Tool of Resistance to Anti-Black Violence

As Leslie Harris explains, the exhibition at Northwestern University incorporates 60 works in various media that show how Black art has been an instrument for communicating history. 

San Diego Professor and Pastor Looks to Communal History of Soul Food

Christopher Carter of the University of San Diego writes and teaches about how African American foodways have been organized around community survival, and argues for adapting that imperative to new circumstances. 

Timothy Snyder on Russia's Likely Intentions in Ukraine

Historian Timothy Snyder describes a pattern of provocation behind Russia's claims to Ukraine with David Remnick on the New Yorker Radio Hour podcast. 

The Four Secrets to Success for "Gonzo Journalism"

by Peter Richardson

Hunter S. Thompson's emergence as a major media figure came from the convergence of the souring of John F. Kennedy-style liberalism and collaborations with fellows like illustrator Ralph Steadman who launched HST's interpretive and visceral style as a critique of the Nixon years. 

Does America Need to Return to Medieval Sleep Habits?

Historian Roger Ekrich describes the medieval biphasic sleep cycle – falling asleep at nightfall, waking at midnight, and sleeping again till dawn – but says it was a response to living conditions, not a natural pattern or preferable to modern sleep habits.

CIA Director John Deutch at Los Angeles Town Hall in 1996 Denies Agency Sold Cocaine in City

A town hall meeting in Los Angeles grew heated when the CIA director denied allegations published by reporter Gary Webb that the Agency was involved in importing and distributing drugs to South Central Los Angeles. 

Capitol Attack Pushed Christian Nationalism to Center of Shifting Far-Right Movement

Christian nationalism, particularly the sense that America's white, Christian identity is threatened, is a force uniting disparate strains of the far right and a potential bridge between extremists and millions of American Evangelicals, say scholars Kelly J. Baker and Anthea Butler. 

Catalonia Pardons Women Convicted of Witchcraft

Witches were often blamed for the sudden death of children or for poor harvests, according to Pau Castell, a professor of modern history at the University of Barcelona.

Susan Carruthers on The Myths and History of the "Dear John" Letter

The "Dear John" letter represents a convergence of the social history of the military and the culture of family, love and relationships. Historian Susan L. Carruthers explains how the term was coined and what she learned about romantic breakups in military history.

Why *Did* the Chicken Cross the Road?

by John Warner

A recent viral Twitter thread sparked a reflection on how to cultivate critical thinking and how to encourage students to transfer it from one context as a durable and portable skill. 

Collin College Settles With History Professor Fired Over Tweets

“We should all be protective of the rights granted by the Constitution — and stand up to defend them when they’re violated.” – Dr. Lora Burnett

The Antivax Right is Bringing Human Sacrifice to America

Past debates about closing schools and businesses to control the pandemic at least could claim to be about balancing costs and benefits. The campaign to refuse vaccination will kill people for no purpose whatsoever.

Historian Harvey Kaye: Biden has Never Wanted to be FDR

Entering office in 1933, Franklin Roosevelt was confident that mass social movements would build support for systemic political and economic change. Joe Biden does not seem to be drawing similar lessons from social protest today. 

Tularosa Downwinders: a 75 Year Wait for Justice

Residents of New Mexico's Tularosa basin received no advance warning of the 1945 atomic bomb tests nor of the risks to their health. They've been excluded from relief legislation that has benefitted residents near the Nevada test sites and workers in uranium mines. 

Margaret O'Mara on the First Historical View of the Trump Presidency

Historian Margaret O'Mara, a contributor to a new volume of historians' first assessements of the Trump presidency discusses how 45 may be remembered. 

Art Historians Shake Up Narratives on TikTok

"TikTok’s art historians are using the platform to explore points of view often excluded in more established spaces like galleries and museums."