Northern Illinois University
Department of History
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

This new faculty-graduate student discussion group addresses the political agendas of uses and abuses of history throughout the world historically and today. We meet semi-monthly in the NIU library (normally in the Rare Books and Special Collections department – Room 403) to discuss article-length works relevant to the topic in any aspect of world history. Please contact Aaron Fogleman at aaronfogleman@niu.edu of the NIU History Department or Bradley Wiles at bwiles@niu.edu on the NIU Library staff for more information or suggestions for topics and readings. Meeting times, places and readings will be disseminated via email.

Past Events

• James Grossman, “African American History in Florida: AHA Response to New Standards of Instruction,” Perspectives on History, September 2023. (held Nov. 28, 2023)
• The 1619 Project and the Origins of the American Revolution: Nikole Hannah-Jones (New York Times Magazine, 14 August 2019 and copied Tweet, 12 March 2020), with response from Leslie Harris (Politico, 6 March 2020) and correction from Jack Silverstein, New York Times Magazine, 11 March 2020. (held Nov. 14, 2023)
• Vladimir Putin, “The Historical Unity Between Russians and Ukrainians,” (2021) and two criticisms of his misuse of history in the New York Times and Time. (held Oct. 24, 2023)
• The Ramseyer controversy on Korean Comfort Women and Japan and scholar responses, addressed in Tessa Morris-Suzuki, “The ‘Comfort Women’ Issue, Freedom of Speech, and Academic Integrity: A Study Aid,” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 19, Issue 5, Nr. 12, 1 Mar 2021. (held Oct. 10, 2023)
• Andrew Gillett, “The Fall of Rome and the Retreat of European Multiculturalism: A Historical Trope as a Discourse of Authority in Public Debate,” Cogent Arts & Humanities, vol. 4:1, 2017. (held Sept. 19, 2023)
• Brian Sandberg review of Zemmour contre l’histoire and David Blight, “The Fog of History Wars.” (Sept. 5, 2023)