Public History for a Post-Truth Era: Fighting Denial through Memory Movements

by Liz Sevčenko

Public History for a Post-Truth Era explores how to combat historical denial when faith in facts is at an all-time low. Moving beyond memorial museums or documentaries, the book shares on-the-ground stories of participatory public memory movements that brought people together to grapple with the deep roots and current truths of human rights abuses. It gives an inside look at "Sites of Conscience" around the world, and the memory activists unearthing their hidden histories, from the Soviet Gulag to the slave trade in Senegal. It then follows hundreds of people joining forces across dozens of US cities to fight denial of Guantánamo, mass incarceration, and climate change.

As reparations proposals proliferate in the US, the book is a resource for anyone seeking to confront historical injustices and redress their harms. Written in accessible, non-academic language, it will appeal to students, educators, or supportive citizens interested in public history, museums, or movement organizing.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2022

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introduction to the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience approach for linking historical events/places with contemporary issues. Slightly surprised to see Fort Snelling referenced briefly. Good case studies of collaborative community approach.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially well-constructed discussion of the unique dynamics of participatory public memory projects originating in the post-Soviet moment and contending with an authoritarian populist turn in global politics.