Considering History: Sophia Hayden and the Hidden Cost of American Sexism
Few American figures and stories encapsulate the hidden cost of sexism better than the architect Sophia Hayden Bennett.
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Considering History: Remembering the History of Slavery Is Both Necessary and Patriotic
Do we really need to revisit the more painful moments of our nation’s past? Ben Railton discusses why better remembering our most horrific histories is so important.
Considering History: “There’s Time Enough, but None to Spare” — A Black History Month Lesson in Critical Optimism
Ben Railton looks at the concept of critical optimism, which recognizes and engages with the hardest and worst of our world, yet seeks to find reasons for hope nevertheless.
Considering History: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Legacies of Critical Patriotism
Can you criticize America and still be a patriot? Ben Railton looks at the concept of critical patriotism, which challenges whether or not America is living up to its ideals.
Considering History: Iran and the Legacies of America’s Clandestine Foreign Policies
Ben Railton takes a look at nearly 75 years’ worth of covert American foreign policies and activities in Iran and how they continue to influence unfolding global stories.
Considering History: Dorothy Day and the True Spirit of Christmas
Celebrate an American whose life exemplifies the true spirit of Christmas.
Considering History: William Lloyd Garrison — An Activist Ahead of His Time
In defending the rights not only of enslaved Americans in the 19th century, but also women and Native Americans, William Lloyd Garrison modeled activism that just as easily applies to the 21st century.
Considering History: Native Americans, Sovereignty, and the Mashpee Revolt
This Thanksgiving, we can remember the Mashpee Revolt of 1833, an event that established one of America’s most enduring and inspirational communities.
Considering History: Guns, the Constitution, and Our 21st Century Society
American Studies Professor Ben Railton takes a look at the role that guns play in American identity, culture, and law.
Considering History: How Lillian E. Smith Modeled a Southern Alternative to White Supremacy
White, Southern, and patrician, Lillian Smith used her summer camp to educate multiple generations of young women in opposition to white supremacy and wrote groundbreaking books that were praised by Martin Luther King.
Considering History: Does America Owe Its Existence to France and Morocco?
America would not have endured without its foreign alliances, including a foundational one with a Muslim country.
Considering History: Impeachment and the Radicalism of the American Constitution
The founding fathers argued about keeping an impeachment clause in the Constitution. Ultimately, they decided it was necessary.
Considering History: The Fundamental Radicalism of the American Labor Movement
Ben Railton discusses the truly radical origins of the labor movement in America, from the 1877 general strikes to the organizing of African-American Pullman porters and up through today’s UAW actions.
Considering History: Post-9/11 Lessons from America’s Forgotten War in the Philippines
Ben Railton explains why the Philippine-American War deserves far more of a presence in our collective memories, for its own sake but also for the lessons it can impart about post-9/11 America.
News of the Week: Hurricane Dorian, Cheetos Fashion, and the Many Ways to Make Ants on a Log
In the news for the week ending September 6, 2019, are Waffle House, Space Command, Cheetos fashion, old computer tech, funky snack foods, and more.
Considering History: Emmett Till’s Casket and the Worst and Best of America
Ben Railton visits the Emmett Till memorial at the National Museum of African American History & Culture and looks at how we as a nation struggle with the emotions that accompany our complicated past.