Readings this week center around the historian’s role in community activism and preservation in urban environments. Thomas Cauvin says that the role a historian plays may originate in their search for “the truth” which speaks to the question we have asked again and again this semester; whose history is worthy (Cauvin 2016, 230)? This focus on truth in public history does not just define the individual historian, but also can “empower institutions to achieve their goals” for those who “have been devalued or ignored by mainstream history” (Cauvin 2016, 230).
Cauvin discusses the concept of “useful history,” which was coined in 1912 by James Harvey Robinson who urged historians to “'exploit' their methods of research and analysis to advance the 'general progress' of society” (Cauvin 2016, 230). This concept of “useful history” posits that knowledge of the past can be used by historians to help shape current events and importantly, shows the necessity of our work in the democratic process. As Cauvin demonstrates, “historians can help people become better citizens” (Cauvin 2016, 230).
While some historians are reluctant to play this role, more and more in the field, particularly in public history, have acknowledged the need for perspectives that democratize history in ways that preserves not only the history of the few but must also include the voices and narratives of marginalized groups so often left behind during the early work of public history.
Cauvin discusses many different positions that are considered “activist” by some, including topics such as Native history, racial history, women’s history, LGBTQ+ history, and more. He provides a general overview of concepts such as decolonization of the field and the work being done toward the goal of repatriation and reconciliation. He explains that the connections between historians and history as a “tool to build democracy” has increased in the 21st century and it is our responsibility to guide our publics in coming “to term with the past” (Cauvin 2016, 241-3).
Andrew Hurley’s work Beyond Preservation: Using Public History to Revitalize Inner Cities discusses the use of historic preservation in cities and why communities can “best turn preserved landscapes into assets by subjecting them to public interpretation at the grass roots (Hurley 2010, ix). The concept of “useful history” is present in Hurley’s book with specific information related to preservation in urban spaces, including issues with gentrification. The biggest take away from Beyond Preservation is that shared authority is a key component of work done in urban environments and that success “lies in identifying and illuminating aspects of the past that have direct relevance for the type of places communities wish to create and the ends to which they wish to guide historic preservation” (Hurley 2010, 178). Hurley methods present a new framework with which to consider historic preservation in urban spaces. Rather than addressing the blight versus gentrification model of the past, he urges the shared authority of community involvement as a tool to bring the community together to increase the community’s sense of ownership in their history.
Bibliography
Cauvin, Thomas. “Civic Engagement and Social Justice: Historians as Activists.” In Public History. 230-249. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2016.
Hurley, Andrew. Beyond Preservation: Using Public History to Revitalize Inner Cities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2010.
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