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Members Making News
Around the country, the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is creating valuable opportunities for historians to engage with the public about American history. AHA Council member Kristin O’Brassil-Kulfan (Rutgers Univ.) is co-chair of the RevolutionNJ advisory council, which is assisting the New Jersey Historical Commission in planning for the the state’s commemoration. She sees the commemoration as an opportunity to work with communities to help them engage critically with the past and understand the ongoing work of historians.
“We’ve really emphasized that we view this as a commemoration and not necessarily a celebration because we have a responsibility to demonstrate the complexity and nuance of the history,’’ said O’Brassill-Kulfan. “There are still things that we’re learning, and history is not something that is kind of said and done. It’s an ongoing living, breathing interpretation.’’