JSTOR’s Post

Student activism, Montana's rich history, and groundbreaking scientific films. January's highlights on JSTOR reflect the power of archives to preserve and share stories. Explore the full blog post: https://bit.ly/4hwtlxe

Hundreds of at-risk, rarely seen, audio visual items that document the history of Trans+ activism will be made digitally accessible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that preserves and improves research and learning. https://bit.ly/3Pplmpu

Teens in Montana are reimagining their relationship with public spaces – and their communities are benefitting as a result. Last week at the National Humanities Conference in Providence, I learned about a wonderful project where young people restored a local park, incorporating native grasses and deepening connections to their Dakota/Nakota heritage. This is just one example from the nonpartisan Democracy Project, an initiative supported by Humanities Montana. In libraries across the state teens develop, research, iterate, and execute projects to improve their communities. Librarians such as Alia Hanson and Lori Smoker, who both shared stories during the session of what "their" kids have achieved, receive training and support from folks like Jenny Bevill and John Knight from Humanities Montana. Their presentation was full of joy and respect for teens and their energy, drive, perseverance, and collaboration. There are two elements of this initiative that I find most important: first, teens are given complete agency to decide on their project. The librarians help and support but do not direct the projects; and second, the networking and collaboration among librarians with support from Montana Humanities has enabled the program to spread to all four corners of the state. These are not hugely expensive programs to design or run, yet they have enormous impact on the teens involved as well as the communities who benefit from the teens' work. it seems like a no-brainer: every state should be doing this! There was one question mark. Where are the boys? Most of the teens who sign up for the projects are girls. The gender imbalance in civic engagement programs like this one reflects a broader, national pattern of civic disengagement among young men. While teens in The Democracy Project have complete freedom to design their own initiatives--from park restoration to technology solutions-- the challenge lies in getting more young men through the library doors in the first place. Meeting them where they already gather might help. I’m thinking, for instance, that  sports coaches or local veterans might be more effective at recruiting boys than a library flyer alone. Boys might also be swayed if they learn that the program could have practical benefits for themselves, not just their communities, such as that it could help them land a job or improve their college applications.  What other ideas do people have for engaging teen boys in civic life? National Humanities Alliance Federation of State Humanities Councils Rhode Island Council for the Humanities  #studentagency #democracy #pbl #projectbasedlearning

"Juneteenth in America" Model Credit: Bisa @copyright 2024 Art Imagined - all rights reserved https://artimagined.photo/ Juneteenth, historically a day of profound significance marking the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, has increasingly become subject to commercialization. This commercialization risks diluting the true meaning of the holiday, which commemorates the struggle for freedom and the enduring quest for racial equality. The essence of Juneteenth lies in its roots as a day of remembrance, education, and celebration of African American culture and achievements. However, the growing trend of businesses capitalizing on this day with superficial sales events, branded merchandise, and other profit-driven activities threatens to overshadow its deeper significance. The focus on commercial gain can divert attention from the historical context and the ongoing fight against systemic racism, reducing the holiday to another commercial opportunity rather than a powerful reminder of a pivotal moment in American history. It is crucial to preserve the integrity of Juneteenth by prioritizing educational initiatives, community-based celebrations, and actions that honor the legacy and contributions of African Americans.

The National Council on Public History's Consultant Committee is cooking up some great events for the 2025 Conference in Montreal! From our annual workshop to train new and emerging professionals to our Speakeasy, we're here to support public historians interested in or already working in consulting. Proposals for the conference are due July 15th, so don't forget to submit yours here! This year's theme is SOLIDARITY | SOLIDARITÉ and we cannot wait to see all the amazing panels, workshops, and sessions. "Solidarity (from the French solidarité) is a word for shared responsibilities and mutual obligations. It conveys a sense of interconnectedness with our world and interdependence upon each other. Long present in France’s code civile, to be in solidarity is to assume shared debts and claim shared successes, so that when we rise, we rise together. As 21st century public historians, we work through multiple lenses, share diverse stories, and often interpret and make relatable to the public complex histories that sometimes counter long-held ‘truths.’ As a result, our work beckons for unity, togetherness, and collective purpose to support achieving common ground across the field and “put history to work in the world.” The 2025 NCPH Annual Meeting will center around the theme Solidarity. Pondering the question—What does Solidarity mean in the field of public history?—leads us to consider what we collectively value in the field and how we progress together as public history workers. Amplifying voices, building connections, unifying our audiences, advocating for and revealing authentic histories, fostering and promoting safe spaces, and mirroring these values internally within our organizations are a few examples of how we realize Solidarity across the field. While submissions on all topics are welcome, in exploring Solidarity, the Joint 2025 Program and Local Arrangements Committee co-chairs particularly encourage you to consider a few of the examples below: -Sessions related to public history labor and public historians as workers, including efforts to improve compensation and working conditions in the field and in our institutions; -Sessions which model collaboration between public historians and relevant stakeholders, especially community members and grassroots organizers; -Sessions which demonstrate solidarity between public historians and activist movements or protests; -Sessions which display international cooperation and collaboration across borders; -Sessions which explicitly consider our shared responsibilities as public historians: to each other, to the communities we serve, to the pasts, people, and places we interpret, and to the world we live in; -Sessions which ask us to evaluate the past work of public history to consider the shared debts we must pay; -Sessions which consider public history work as a projet de société—in Québec, a societal project." https://lnkd.in/edGwbwdU

🍾𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦🍾 to our brilliant client SUNY Press, whose title 𝙀𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 has won the prestigious SAMLA Studies Book Award, against very worthy and stiff competition. Much more on this, including the reaction of author Shalyn Claggett, in the link below... #books #publishing #awards #academic #history #equality #winner https://lnkd.in/eFMWg-j7

Troy University’s College of Communication and Fine Arts (CCFA) has been awarded a $449,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation that will focus on deepening the understanding of Alabama’s cultural identity to foster social justice through research, curriculum development, and community engagement. https://lnkd.in/em-dyWBP

In librarianship and academia, the word "attract" often pops up in our efforts to diversify our institutions. But as Ruha Benjamin insightfully points out in Viral Justice, the issue isn't that Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students aren't already attracted to fields like STEM—it's that they're systematically undermined and excluded at every turn. This isn't just a STEM problem; it's a pervasive issue across higher education and library systems. We must shift our focus from "attracting" diverse groups to actively dismantling the barriers that repel them. Whether it's through revising biased policies, ensuring equitable access to resources, or creating truly inclusive environments. #Librarianship #DiversityInSTEM #AcademicLibraries #Inclusion #EquityInEducation

History organizations have an obligation to connect the stories they tell and the environments they create with the things people care about today. This article from AASLH member Sarah Jencks explains civics and how to begin to create a civic strategy.

Zines Zines Zines! One of my favorite feminist collaborative projects that invites students to not only think about histories, but also the importance of cultural production within feminist praxis. And I get to collaborate with my friend and colleague Prof. John ODonnell Check it out! #feministarchives #publishing #zines #feministpedagogy #activism #artobjects #Uconn #WGSS #collaborativepraxis #feministpublication