Tuesday 3 October 2023, American University, Washington DC.

This one-day symposium will explore the uses and abuses of the past with a particular focus on divided societies and marginalised communities. It will explore the ways in which history can be weaponised in the public space or used to privilege particular versions of the past, but will also examine some of the ways in which public engagement with history can serve to amplify marginalised voices and address division and inequalities in today’s societies.

Its purpose is to explore new research, challenges or possibilities in the field of public history through themed roundtables. Each will consist of a 10-minute reflection (maximum) by each participant followed by discussion and Q&A

Keynote lecture: Professor Barbara Stephenson, Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer, University of North Carolina. Before taking up her role, Barbara was President of the American Foreign Service Association. During her distinguished 34-year career in the Foreign Service, she was US ambassador to Panama, the first woman chargé d’affaires and deputy ambassador at the US Embassy in London, and dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute. She earned her PhD, MA, and BA in English literature from the University of Florida.

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