The American Historical Association defends the free pursuit of historical teaching, research, and scholarship and the right of all historians to practice our craft with integrity. We are proud to continue our long and respected legacy of informed and effective advocacy on behalf of historians everywhere: higher education faculty and students in the United States and abroad, K–12 history teachers and students, museum and nonprofit professionals, historians employed by federal and state governments, independent scholars, and all who value the critical role history plays in American public life. Our advocacy work is trusted because it is nonpartisan, evidence-based, and mission-driven—focused squarely on issues that matter to historians and the communities we serve.
In recent weeks, the AHA has established:
- a committee to support the Association’s efforts to protect academic freedom
- a committee to provide guidance for the Association’s efforts to aid Palestinian historians
- the Community Action and Resource Exchange (CARE) network, which brings historians together to discuss shared professional issues, exchange ideas, and collaborate on strategies that strengthen the discipline
This program and the work of these committees build on the AHA’s advocacy efforts. Among our actions in the last year, we have:
- supported international historians and historians under threat through our longstanding partnership with Scholars at Risk and our Committee on International Historical Activities
- supported education exchange programs and foreign scholars through statements, action alerts, and the development of advocacy guides and resources
- filed a lawsuit in defense of the National Endowment for the Humanities
- hosted congressional briefings to educate the US Congress on the history of deportation, the federal civil service, tariffs, privacy and artificial intelligence, and other vital issues
- provided expert testimony to legislatures, advised state boards of education on the revision of academic standards, and negotiated with state-level policymakers regarding legislative language on history education and academic freedom
- issued statements and letters in support of history and the work of historians today, including statements condemning federal censorship of American history and defending the Smithsonian Institution
- defended historians’ right to academic freedom and supported historians confronting threats and harassment
- collaborated with peer associations and institutional partners to take action and amplify our collective voices
Our work continues, as threats to the historical discipline, academic freedom, and freedom of speech persist and are escalating across the United States and beyond.
Now more than ever, we need your voice and your participation. We urge you to amplify the ongoing work of AHA committees and working groups, and we invite you to join our new Community Action and Resource Exchange (CARE) network. We also encourage you to make a donation to our advocacy fund. We must work together to uphold and elevate the essential role played by historians in the education of democratic citizens.
The AHA and our members are committed to ensuring that all people have the freedom to teach, research, and learn history in all its complexity, and to strengthening the institutions that make this work possible.