Historians in the News

Lost Cause: 50 Years of the Drug War in Latin America

Latin America has been fundamentally transformed by Richard Nixon's launch of the War on Drugs in 1971. The Post presents a series of articles by Latin American journalists describing the consequences. 

Black Women have Always Led the Fight for Reparations. 'They're Not Getting Their Due,' Historians Say

Ashley Farmer and Ana Lucia Araujo argue that the historical debate about reparations for slavery and official anti-Black racism often ignores the leadership of Black women in arguing for reparations and proposing specific forms of restitution. 

Family Values, Social Reciprocity, and Christianity

by Stephanie Coontz

Family historian Stephanie Coontz argues in a chapter excerpted here that relationships of care and mutual obligation have been much more complex than the nuclear family.

Is This Florida Island Home to a Long-Lost Native American Settlement?

The dig is part of the UNF Archaeology Lab’s ongoing Mocama Archaeological Project, which seeks to shed light on the Indigenous people who lived along northern Florida’s coast prior to Europeans’ arrival in the region in 1562.

Hyper-Segregation, Inequality, And Murder Rates — A Review Of “The Ecology Of Homicide”

by Menika Dirkson

The late historian Eric Schneider uses criminal court records to argue that Philadelphia's violent crime rate is an ecological phenomenon, in which public policy decisions and private actions created conditions for spikes in violence. 

Toll from Political Push at UNC Continues to Mount

Malinda Maynor Lowery is leaving her position at the University of North Carolina because of the politicization of the university's governance by conservative activists, most recently reflected in the refusal to hire Nikole Hannah Jones with tenure. 

Postal Historian Asks the PRC to Return the USPS to a Mission of Service

USPS historian Philip Rubio argues that the postal service must return to its mission of service and reject the "run it like a business" logic that has eroded public trust in the institution. 

Is There an Uncontroversial Way to Teach America’s Racist History?

Vox's Sean Illing interviews historian Jarvis R. Givens, an expert on African American education, about the idea that, while Black teachers have been practicing antiracist education for generations, the idea becomes controversial when implemented in classrooms where White students learn. 

White House Pushes To Jump-Start Civil Rights-Era Cold Cases Board

The White House has named nominees for the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, which will reexamine unsolved murder cases of the civil rights era.

"Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture" by Sudhir Hazareesingh wins Wolfson Prize

Sudhir Hazareesingh has won the Wolfson Prize for 2021 for "Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture."

How the George Floyd Uprising Was Framed for White Eyes

Some of the most iconic news photographs of the Civil Rights Movement told a particular story to white liberals – that Black protesters were passive victims needing their help, instead of actively fighting for freedom. Those photos today help define the mainstream limits of "acceptable" protest. 

Legislating Against Critical Race Theory

More than a dozen states considered or passed legislation targeting critical race theory this year. How has this academic concept become so politicized?

Education Failed To Be An Equalizer In Boston — A Review Of “The Education Trap”

by Erika M. Kitzmiller

A new book looks at the long history of education reform in Boston and concludes that, as in the 19th century, expecting education to fix the problems of an unequal society is wishful thinking. 

Stephen M. Monroe on "Heritage and Hate" in Southern University Traditions

"Yes, it is painful and discomforting to see and hear racism. But I am a white scholar who has always felt nurtured within predominantly white institutions. My discomfort is zilch compared to the real pain long endured by colleagues and students of color."

The Importance of Teaching Dred Scott

A social media discussion among constitutional law professors has proposed minimizing the discussion of the racist language of the notorious Dred Scott decision. Does this do violence to historical understanding of the longstanding accommodation of the constitution to racism? 

For the Many: American Feminists and the Global Fight for Democratic Equality (Washington History Seminar, June 14)

In a bold rewriting of twentieth-century political history, Dorothy Sue Cobble reclaims social democracy as a central thread of American feminism and shows how global forces, peoples, and ideas shaped US politics and social movements.

I Visited A Former Plantation To Understand Why People Get Married There. All I Saw Was Pain

by Clint Smith

The popularity of celebrating weddings at the sites of enslavement and forced labor illustrates the huge gaps in White America's understanding of history. 

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Asian Americans (Feat. Mae Ngai)

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term “Asian American”, the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed. Feat. historian Mae Ngai. 

Nancy Maclean: Manchin "Living in a Dream World that No Longer Exists"

Historian Nancy Maclean tells Joy Ann Reid that Joe Manchin's pursuit of bipartisanship is futile and misguided. 

The KKK Ruled Denver a Century Ago. Its Legacy is Still Felt

Historian Robert Goldberg describes how the Klan worked in the 1920s to dominate local goverment in the Colorado city and the state government.