In an article in Medium, Kathryn A. Ostrofsky, a historian and digital archive coordinator for Bunk History and the New American History project, highlighted a roundtable I organized at the 2023 American Historical Association’s (AHA) Annual Meeting. Appropriately titled “History From the Outside In,” Ostrofsky’s article reflected on how many discussions at this year’s conference focused on the challenges facing historians and the future of the profession during a time of some turmoil, particularly in academia.
Ostrofsky noted how many historians working outside of “traditional” academic jobs utilized this gathering to query the ways that history can be more inclusive of both its practitioners and the diverse publics it serves. She specifically mentioned my roundtable as being part of this larger conversation, writing that “Finkelstein’s roundtable suggested that the next step should be a more inclusive definition of scholarship, one that encompasses not just new knowledge but also new interpretations, including popular writing, teaching resources, television interviews, and podcasts.”
It is extremely gratifying to have our roundtable called out for making a difference in the discourse at the AHA Annual Meeting. Despite the issues challenging our field, I left the conference reinvigorated and excited about the opportunities we have to make history more engaging, accessible, and inclusive.
Read the article here.
