EQUITY AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

By Adam Stanley, Department Chair

All too often, the lessons of historical study demonstrate the ways in which societies have failed to provide equity and justice, sometimes at a myriad of levels. As historians, we seek to learn from those lessons of the past, and to imbue our students with a sense of the importance of those values as part of the mission and values of our program and the college. Both equity and justice fundamentally revolve around the notion of impartiality, which is important to historical study as well. While history is an interpretive discipline, we want our students to make their assessments of historical events from as impartial a perspective as possible—not because history is magically value-free, but rather an understanding of one's pre-conceptions can inform more responsible historical study and scholarship. Sometimes that means a better appreciation of the historical circumstances underlying ongoing gender inequities, for example, as a means to grasp the ways in which historical circumstances have influenced gender norms and opportunities in our own world. In other cases, students are even empowered to attempt to provide a small modicum of justice in retrospect, such as bringing to light instances of the illegal practice of slavery in 19th-century Wisconsin. In any of these respects, the need to comprehend the historical roots and realities of inequity and injustice is crucial to an education grounded in the nature and significance of our core values as a college.

College Of Lae In Action

Related student organization: Platteville History Club

UW-Platteville held the eighth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Lecture, featuring Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel who shared the message of “Running for Justice.” “Since 2015, the goal of the UW-Platteville Indigenous Peoples’ Day Lecture is to amplify Native American voices at this institution,” said Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, Associate Professor of history and founder of this event. “Even today, these speakers connect with community members, students, staff, and faculty. Observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day makes UW-Platteville a stronger and more welcoming university.”

Read the full article online at go.uwplatt.edu/indigenous-peoples-day