The ACRL Board of Directors has endorsed an American Historical Association (AHA) statement on Domestic Terrorism, Bigotry, and History. The statement notes that “As the largest organization of professional historians in the world, the AHA condemns the recent deployment of histories invented in the interest of bigotry, violence, and division. Many critics of white nationalism have admirably insisted that ‘this is not who we are.’ If the statements of white nationalists do not reflect who Americans are or want to be, they do compose an undeniable part of our collective past. Those aspects of the nation’s heritage should be exposed and overcome, rather than ignored or celebrated. Knowledge of history can help Americans achieve that goal.”
“ACRL wholly supports the American Historical Association’s moving and timely statement on nativism, violence, and history,” said ACRL President Karen Munro of Simon Fraser University. “The sentiments addressed in the statement reflect our Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s focus on acknowledging and addressing historical racial inequities.”
ACRL is one of more than 30 organizations to sign on in support of the AHA statement.