To do exciting, empowering research and leave it in…
““To do exciting, empowering research and leave it in academic journals and university libraries is like manufacturing unaffordable medicines for deadly diseases. We need to share our work in ways that people can assimilate, not in the private languages and forms of scholars...Those who are hungriest for what we dig up don't read scholarly journals and shouldn't have to. As historians we need to either be artists and community educations or find people who are and figure out how to collaborate with them. We can work with community groups to create original public history projects that really involved people. We can see to it that our work gets into at least the local popular culture through theater, murals, historical novels, posters, films, children's books, or a hundred other art forms. We can work with elementary and high school teachers to create curricula. Medicinal history is a form of healing and its purposes are conscious and overt.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Scholars must make research accessible beyond academia, using popular media and education to reach broader audiences.
In simple terms: Researchers should share work in ways people can understand.
Key Takeaway
Translate scholarship for public consumption.
Themes
accessibility
public engagement
history
education
artistic collaboration
Mood
hopeful
determined
inspirational
Type
educational
activist
creative
When to use this quote
- schools
- community art projects
- local museums
- media campaigns
- collaborative exhibitions
Key Concepts
public history
community outreach
knowledge democratization
Questions to Reflect On
- How can scholars balance rigor with accessibility?
- What media best convey complex histories to diverse audiences?
A Different Perspective
Academic language can still be a barrier despite good intentions.