Charlottesville and the Importance of History

August 11th, 2017: Charlottesville Uprising

• On August 11th, 2017, the speaker saw a video on Twitter of hundreds of young white men marching in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• They were chanting anti-Semitic slogans and claiming to be there to prevent the removal of Robert E. Lee's statue.
• A young man drove his car into a crowd of peaceful protestors, injuring several and killing Heather Heyer.

The Speaker's Background and Expertise

• The speaker is a historian who teaches Southern history and culture at UNC Charlotte.
• She has written books about the South, including one about the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the group most responsible for Confederate monuments.
• After the events in Charlottesville, she felt compelled to share her knowledge and reached out to the New York Times to write about it.
• She also wrote for the Washington Post and CNN.

Media Attention and the Importance of History

• After her op-eds were published, journalists from around the country and the world contacted her for interviews about the monuments and the women who put them there.
• She was interviewed by newspapers, magazines, and news outlets, including The Atlantic, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The Village Voice, Salon, BBC News Hour, and Glamour magazine.
• The speaker emphasizes that this attention was not because she was special, but because history matters and people are hungry for it.

History's Relevance to the Present

• History is not just about facts and dates; it's about understanding the how and why of human actions and motivations.
• History can be used to inform us about the present, especially in relation to current events like immigration, terrorism, Black Lives Matter, and nationalism.

The Power of Historical Knowledge

• Having a solid grasp of the past means that no one can easily manipulate or deceive you about the truth.
• Historians have "the receipts," which are the evidence that supports their understanding of the past.
• Professors share these receipts through classes, essays, and even platforms like Twitter.
• Historians active on Twitter are sometimes called "Twitterstorians."

Engaging with History

• You don't have to be a historian to learn from the past. You can take a class, read a book, or go to the archive and examine the evidence for yourself.
• Knowing about the past can empower you today and into the future.