As William Faulkner memorably noted: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
During the Fall 2018 semester, the Department of History presents an event series entitled “History Matters.” Inspired both by recent events in which nuanced historical understanding and contextualization of events have frequently been set aside in the name of ideology, and equally by recent developments in the field of history itself which seek to understand how societies remember and commemorate events, “History Matters” will investigate some tough, timely topics over the course of the semester in an effort to demonstrate how deep and careful historical investigation of the past can inform present debates.
“Misusing the Middle Ages: Disarming a Weaponized Past”
Paul Sturtevant, Smithsonian Institution
In this talk, Paul B. Sturtevant – author of the recent book, The Middle Ages in Popular Imagination: Memory, Film and Medievalism – will discuss misappropriations of the medieval past, and how a fuller view of the complexities of the medieval world offers a vastly different picture.
Wednesday 3 October
5:15-7:00 PM
323 Pryzbyla University Center
Co-sponsored with the Center for Medieval and Byzantine Studies
“Faith, Race, and Politics”
Mitchell J. Landrieu (Catholic University class of 1982), formerly Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans
At this event, Mitch Landrieu will discuss and sign his recent book, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.
Wednesday 7 November
6:00-8:00 PM
Heritage Hall
Co-sponsored with the Office of Alumni Relations
PLEASE NOTE: RSVP here to ensure a seat.
“Panel discussion: Immigration Debates, Past and Present”
Speakers:- Dr. Julia Young, Catholic University, "The Border Crossed Us: Mexican Migration since 1848"
- Dr. Katherine Benton-Cohen, Georgetown University "The Invention of the Immigration Problem: The Dillingham Commission and its Legacy"
- Dr. Timothy Meagher, Catholic University, “Old Immigrants and New”
This panel, which is presented in honor of Professor Timothy Meagher, examines historical immigration discussions to illuminate how past debates can (and should) inform contemporary conversations about the issues and the formation of policy.
Wednesday 5 December
5:15-7:00 PM
May Gallery, Mullen Library
Co-sponsored with the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives and the University Libraries