Public History in Our Public Consciousness

Friday, May 31, 2024, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

During an election year, the media likes to reference historical numbers and facts. People quote their versions of what is the ‘true’ history of their country/state/city, sparring on who did what to whom and when. What does history, in all of its many forms, look like in the public consciousness? Is there a more productive way to engage history in the political process? How is public history of use to those of us in the field in an election year? How can we be of use to the community? How might historical organizations model productive uses of history? How might historical organizations engage people from across the political spectrum or encourage civic reflection rooted in history?

Join us for a conversation tackling these and similar issues on Friday, May 31, 12:00-1:30pm with Margo Shea, Professor of Public History at Salem State University, and Noelle Trent, Executive Director of the African American History Museum in Boston and Nantucket.

Bring your lunch and questions, observations, successes, and failures! And join us for an engaging, possibly difficult, and certainly worthwhile discussion.

Registration is free. REGISTER HERE!

We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org

Conversations on the Commons

Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent, empathize, laugh, complain, think, collaborate, brainstorm, plan, and in general be up to no good.