In various ways, all articles mentioned in this review meet the expectations of ‘The Public Historian” editorial policy. Each one of them demonstrates the vital role public history plays in discovering more evidence of past events by using oral history or archeology to support suppressed public topics or giving marginalized groups a voice. All these contributions are providing a deeper understanding of the field of public history.
Hilary N. Green, Ph.D., is a historian specializing in African American and United States history, with expertise in educational reconstruction during the 19th century. She received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and has published extensively on topics such as African American education in the urban South. Currently a James B. Duke Professor of Africana Studies at Davidson College, Green has also held teaching positions at institutions including the University of Alabama and Elizabeth City State University.
Hilary Green’s article “The Burden of the University of Alabama’s Hallowed Grounds” delves into issues of institutional forgetting, exploitation of slavery’s history, and its enduring legacy on campuses. She highlights efforts toward reconciliation and acknowledgment, emphasizing the emotional toll on African American stakeholders. Green discusses the university’s response to revisiting its slavery history amid events like the George Floyd murder and the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing challenges in achieving systemic change and the burden on faculty of color. She advocates for amplifying alternative voices, particularly enslaved women like Mary, Lydia, Sabra, and Binkey, emphasizing the importance of their stories for a comprehensive understanding of the institution’s history and its lasting impact.
Hilary Green points out subfields within Public History including Museums/Exhibit Curation (evidenced by efforts to create alternate campus tours and digital history materials), Archives and Libraries (utilizing archival records and research), Oral History (sharing narratives and experiences of enslaved individuals), and Digital Projects (creating digital history materials).
Green supports her argument by referencing articles, essays, and case studies published by fellow historians. One of them is historian Deborah Gray White’s book “Ar’n’t I A Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South”[1] which narrative is based on a new archive of enslaved women’s experiences. Documents of this archive show enslaved women’s “arrival, sexual assaults, illnesses, deaths, and acts of resistance [at the University].”[2] Her study aligns with the tradition of “radical public history,” as they confront institutional forgetting, challenge existing narratives, and seek to uncover marginalized histories. Hilary Green’s efforts to shed light on the slave past of the University of Alabama and its legacy demonstrate a commitment to disrupting traditional narratives and promoting a more inclusive and truthful understanding of history.
In “Scaling Invisible Walls: Reasserting Indigenous Persistence in Mission-Era California,”[3] archaeologists and historians Tsim Schneider, Khal Schneider, and Lee Panich delve into the contested history of California’s Franciscan missions and colonialism’s impact. They challenge romanticized views of missions, emphasizing their coercive nature and the devastating effects of colonialism on Indigenous peoples while highlighting Indigenous agency and resistance. The narrative critiques benevolent portrayals of Spanish colonization, emphasizing violence and exploitation, and archaeological evidence challenges depopulation narratives, revealing Indigenous resilience and ongoing vitality. Archaeological evidence challenges depopulation narratives, revealing Indigenous resilience and ongoing vitality. The authors point out that “many conventional approaches to the colonial landscape posit a…rapid depopulation of Indigenous villages and concomitant collapse of regional economic and social networks.”[4] Overall, it provides compelling evidence of Indigenous persistence and resistance, showcasing complex strategies to maintain autonomy despite colonial pressures.
“Woman, Southern, Bisexual: Interpreting Ma Rainey and Carson McCullers in Columbus, Georgia”[5] is a narrative by Curator of History/Exhibitions Manager of the Columbus Museum. Her article discusses the naming of the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts in Columbus, Georgia, highlighting the debate over honoring local artists and the omission of Rainey and McCullers’ bisexuality from the discussion. It emphasizes the power of place in public history, focusing on the significance of museums and historic sites in contextualizing historical figures’ achievements. Museums like the Columbus Museum are mentioned for their efforts to explore Rainey and McCullers’ bisexuality through exhibitions and artifacts. Bush raises questions about presenting controversial narratives of sexuality in public history and advocates for nuanced interpretations that prioritize historical accuracy. She also delves into the life stories of Rainey and McCullers, examining their contributions to music and literature and their complicated relationships with their hometown. The debate over preserving Rainey’s home in Columbus reflects societal attitudes toward race, gender, and sexuality. The article highlights the challenges in preserving and commemorating the legacies of marginalized individuals like Rainey within their communities and engages with themes of queer representation in public history and the complexities of preserving LGBTQ+ historical sites.
The article also delves into the curator’s role in shaping public perceptions of Rainey through exhibitions and interpretative strategies. Rebecca Bush provides with samples of Rainey’s song lyrics that when “Rainey plays it straight in [the] recording, the song is still notable of its acknowledgment of same-sex encounters.”[6] Through analysis of Rainey’s lyrics and cultural context, the article provides insights into her candid acceptance of same-sex relationships and the complexities of queer representation in historical narratives. Overall, the article contributes to discussions of LGBTQ+ representation in public history and the challenges of preserving and interpreting the legacies of marginalized individuals within their communities.
Bush delves also into the life and legacy of Carson McCullers, a renowned Southern Gothic author, focusing particularly on her complex relationship with her hometown of Columbus, Georgia. It highlights McCullers’s literary contributions, including works such as “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” “The Member of the Wedding,” and “The Ballad of the Sad Café,” which were deeply influenced by her Southern upbringing.
The article is a great reflection on the broader cultural significance of Rainey and McCullers, particularly in the context of contemporary discussions about LGBTQ rights and progressive movements in the South. It underlines the ongoing relevance of their stories and the importance of presenting them authentically and inclusively in cultural institutions like the Columbus Museum. Rebecca Bush states that the “Columbus Museum moves forward with inclusive interpretive efforts…[to] create interdisciplinary opportunities to reach visitors in multiple galleries.”[7]
Kristine Scorsone’s article “Invisible Pathways: Public History by Queer Black Women in Newark”[8] highlights the agency of marginalized communities, particularly black lesbian entrepreneurs in Newark, New Jersey. Through the Queer Newark Oral History Project, Scorsone examines how these individuals resist gentrification, preserving their culture and history. Primarily focused on oral history, the article documents the experiences of queer black women, emphasizing their contributions to Newark’s social and economic fabric. It also touches on cultural heritage management, discussing how entrepreneurship sustains cultural heritage amidst urban change.
Scorsone expands the definition of public history to include the business practices of queer black women, challenging traditional notions of historians. The Unity Fellowship Church Newark emerges as a supportive environment for LGBTQ entrepreneurs, fostering economic empowerment and social change. The article explores Halsey Street as a queer enclave, showcasing black lesbian-run businesses’ role in revitalizing the area. Scorsone critiques the erasure of LGBTQ history in mainstream narratives, emphasizing the importance of inclusive storytelling.
Through the entrepreneurial endeavors of individuals like Kimberlee Williams and Tamara Fleming, the article demonstrates how marginalized communities shape Newark’s historical landscape. Williams and Fleming’s FEMWORKS partnership was resulting in both of them working together in 2013 to establish a New Jersey LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce in support of racial and gender diversity. Scorsone states that “although not a public history project in the strictest sense, it is a significant mobilization against whitewashing that historical organizations should similarly strive to achieve.”[9] “Invisible Pathways” contributes to radical public history by amplifying marginalized voices, challenging dominant narratives, and advocating for expanded definitions of historical inquiry.
[1]Deborah Gray white. Ar’n’t I A Woman. New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 1985.
[2] Green 36
[3] Schneider, Tsim D., Khal Schneider, and Lee M. Panich. “Scaling Invisible Walls: Reasserting Indigenous Persistence in Mission-Era California.” The Public historian 42.4 (2020): 97–120. Web.
[4] Schneider 107
[5] Bush, Rebecca. “Woman, Southern, Bisexual: Interpreting Ma Rainey and Carson McCullers in Columbus, Georgia.” The Public historian 41.2 (2019): 94–115. Web
[6] Bush 103
[7] Bush 114
[8] Scorsone, Kristyn. “Invisible Pathways: Public History By Queer Black Women In Newark.” The Public historian 41.2 (2019): 190–217. Web.
[9] Scorsone 206-207
jochenriehmblog.wordpress.com 
Leave a comment