--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My obsessions stay the same - historical…" description: "\"My obsessions stay the same - historical memory and historical erasure. I am particularly interested in the Americas and how a history that is rooted i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/natasha-trethewey-7684_am_my-obsessions-stay-the-same-historical-m_2210743.jpg" --- # My obsessions stay the same - historical memory and… ![“My obsessions stay the same - historical memory and historical erasure. I am particularly interested in the Americas and how a history that is rooted in colonialism, the language and iconography of empire, disenfranchisement, the enslavement of peoples, and the way that people were sectioned off…” quote by Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/natasha-trethewey-7684_am_my-obsessions-stay-the-same-historical-m_2210743.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/natasha-trethewey-7684_am_my-obsessions-stay-the-same-historical-m_2210743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/natasha-trethewey-7684_am_my-obsessions-stay-the-same-historical-m_2210743.jpg) > “My obsessions stay the same - historical memory and historical erasure. I am particularly interested in the Americas and how a history that is rooted in colonialism, the language and iconography of empire, disenfranchisement, the enslavement of peoples, and the way that people were sectioned off because of blood.” [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how personal obsessions with memory and erasure shape understanding of colonial histories and their lingering impacts. **In simple terms:** Obsessions with memory and erasure reveal colonial legacies. Key Takeaway Examine how history is remembered or omitted. Themes memory history colonialism identity power Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - museum curation - educational curricula - public policy - community storytelling Key Concepts postcolonial theory collective memory archival studies Questions to Reflect On - How does selective memory affect justice? - What narratives are missing from mainstream history? A Different Perspective Memory can be selective, overlooking present‑day complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colonialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonialism/) [Disenfranchisement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disenfranchisement/) [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Enslavement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enslavement/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Iconography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iconography/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Obsessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessions/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [For a long time, I've been interested in cultural memory and historical erasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/for-a-long-time-i-ve-been-interested-in-cultural-memory-and/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [History is rooted in the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-is-rooted-in-the-future/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [When you think about fascism and right-wing governments, oftentimes people think about European history, but it's been flaring up on and off all throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/when-you-think-about-fascism-and-right-wing-governments-oftentimes/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [In terms of America, I think any profound consideration is bound to return us to the notion of twins because, though you certainly can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/in-terms-of-america-i-think-any-profound-consideration-is-bound-to/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [Historical memory is a potent weapon in fighting against the desert of organized forgetting and implies a rethinking of the role that artists, intellectuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/historical-memory-is-a-potent-weapon-in-fighting-against-the-desert/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Trump would have us revise and edit our historical memory of 9/11, turning it from a unifying narrative of heroism, tragedy, and war and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/trump-would-have-us-revise-and-edit-our-historical-memory-of-9-11/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [“Critical voices have to care about history. 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So does right-wing historical memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/computers-have-cut-and-paste-functions-so-does-right-wing-historical/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [“193. The lack of historical memory is a serious shortcoming in our society. A mentality that can only say, “Then was then, now is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/193-the-lack-of-historical-memory-is-a-serious-shortcoming-in-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by Natasha Trethewey > [I was always very aware of the nature of the place where I was growing up in Gulfport, Mississippi, how that place was shaping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/i-was-always-very-aware-of-the-nature-of-the-place-where-i-was/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [My own journey in becoming a poet began with memory - with the need to record and hold on to what was being lost.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/my-own-journey-in-becoming-a-poet-began-with-memory-with-the-need-to/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [“the little fires set the flames of an idea licking the page how knowledge burns”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/the-little-fires-set-the-flames-of-an-idea-licking-the-page-how/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [I think there is a poem out there for everyone, to be an entrance into the poetry and a relationship with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/i-think-there-is-a-poem-out-there-for-everyone-to-be-an-entrance-into/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [When I write notes in my journal, I'm just trying to scribble down as much as possible. 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