Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism

While all history has the potential to be political, public history is uniquely so: public historians engage in historical inquiry outside the bubble of scholarly discourse, relying on social networks, political goals, practices, and habits of mind that differ from traditional historians. Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism theorizes and defines public history as future focused, committed to the advancement of social justice, and engaged in creating a more inclusive public record. Edited by Denise D. Meringolo and with contributions from the field’s leading figures, this groundbreaking collection addresses major topics such as museum practices, oral history, grassroots preservation, and community-based learning. It demonstrates the core practices that have shaped radical public history, how they have been mobilized to promote social justice, and how public historians can facilitate civic discourse in order to promote equality.

With contributions from Rebecca Amato, Kristen Baldwin Deathridge, Elizabeth Belanger, Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani, Shane Bernardo, Clarissa J. Ceglio, Maria E. Cotera, Pero Gaglo Dagbovie, Dipti Desai, Rachel Donaldson, Fernanda Espinosa, Michèle Gates Moresi, Abigail R. Gautreau, Judith Jennings, Lara Kelland, Daniel R. Kerr, Kristen Ana La Follette, Denise D. Meringolo, Nicole A. Moore, Burnis Morris, Mary Rizzo, Laura Schiavo, Amy Starecheski, Craig Stutman, Anne M. Valk, and William S. Walker.

"This is a much-needed recalibration, as professional organizations and practitioners across genres of public history struggle to diversify their own ranks and to bring contemporary activists into the fold."
— Catherine Gudis, University of California, Riverside.

"Taken all together, the articles in this volume highlight the persistent threads of justice work that has characterized the multifaceted history of public history as well as the challenges faced in doing that work."
— Patricia Mooney-Melvin, The Public Historian

Denise D. Meringolo is associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is the author of Museums, Monuments, and National Parks: Toward a New Genealogy of Public History (University of Massachusetts, 2012), which won the 2013 National Council on Public History prize for the best book in the field.

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