The History Department and Humanities Center are delighted to host a virtual lecture by Dr. Colleen Ho, a specialist in medieval history and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Maryland, College Park. In “The Unintended Legacy of Medieval History: White Supremacy's Obsession with the Middle Ages,” Dr. Ho will outline the uses and abuses of medieval history by white supremacist groups and explain how historical thinking helps deconstruct these narratives. White supremacists are currently the dominant terrorist threat in the United States, as pointed out by a recent Department of Homeland Security report. Yet contemporary public discourse often overlooks the way that these groups use historical narratives to boost their legitimacy. Dr. Ho's presentation will address how white supremacists use an inaccurate vision of a racially homogeneous medieval Europe as a recruiting tool and radicalization method, and her lecture demonstrates the usefulness of humanistic thinking for contextualizing and understanding issues of contemporary significance.  

This event will take place on November 9, 2020 at 6:30pm. The event is open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the Huntsville community and will be free of change. Advance registration is required. Please go to https://uah-uasystem.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DEzYZ4_xRwWG_zEpkAuY3g to register and receive a Zoom link. 

Dr. Ho's visit is part of a new initiative called Diverse Voices in the Humanities, organized to promote the work of humanities scholars from underrepresented demographics and demonstrate how the humanities can speak directly to contemporary issues and events.