Confronting Difficult Histories in Museums, Archives, and Historic Spaces

Historians and organizations that present topics on history have long considered how to present what might be referred to as “difficult histories.” These are periods in history when – using the lens of today – we pause to reflect on decisions made in the past that we may or may not agree with. The art of historiography involves the critical examination of the historical details to allow for a deeper, richer understanding of how the past informs the current and future.

This session, featuring George Garner of the Indiana University-South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center, dives into how museums and other memory spaces can and must acknowledge and host those difficult conversations, and the important histories they can teach. It challenges the idea of them being categorized as “difficult” and asks guests to explore why we value some interpretations over others. Further discussion of local examples of difficult histories will be provided by community partners.

This event will be held in the Noblesville Room of the Hamilton East Public Library located in Noblesville, IN. Please RSVP at the link.

George Garner (he/him) earned his M.A. in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program where he gained experience in museum administration, exhibitions, and collections care at such well-known institutions as the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He has dedicated his career to exploring how museums and memory spaces can help people make meaning from traumatic histories and use history to work actively toward change today. Since 2012, he has served the Indiana University South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center, a space that, for thirty years, operated as a segregated city-owned swimming pool.