Over the last several years, Americans have been engaging in a revived interest and reckoning with the history of our nation and how that history it is taught, remembered, and interpreted. Media attention on historical subjects abounds and often garners impassioned opinions and extensive public discourse. As professional historians, this trend should compel us to question and evaluate the success of our field in sharing our research with both the public and each other. Are we effectively reaching the general public and making our work accessible to them? Have we decreased the boundaries between universities and public history institutions? Have we done enough to share our scholarship with the educators who are teaching the next generations of citizens?

In this roundtable, a group of history practitioners working in different settings will explore these questions and more by sharing how they are helping to diversify the practice of history. We will highlight how historians working outside of universities utilize scholarship in their projects and translate their analyses and arguments into engaging content for the public. Through examples from our work, we will demonstrate the fruitful collaborations between professors, public historians, teachers, and community members. With the inclusion of a high school teacher, the audience will learn how to support educators and get their research into the classroom. Whether working in universities, the government, think tanks, museums, parks, historic sites, or schools, historians have an obligation to adhere to the highest standards of our craft while also sharing our work. In the current climate, it essential that we make our projects available and understandable to the general public.

Ample time will be reserved for discussion among the panelists and audience. We hope to use this roundtable to inspire conversation and brainstorming. We want to engage with attendees and welcome them into our dialogue so we can all work together on this essential mission of the historical profession.