Feb. 19, 2002
An American History for All of Us
A Conversation With Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth
By Thomas
Kohout
James O. Horton, Benjamin Banneker Professor of American
Studies and History, recently hosted a one-hour special, A Fragile
Freedom: African American Historic Sites, on the History Channel
Feb. 13. The program borrows segments from Hortons latest book
of the same name, exploring eight unique African American historic sites
in Boston, New York, Jacksonville, FL, and Washington. The sites, which
include the African Meeting House in Boston, show the strength of African
American communities during the 1800s.
Horton developed the book as part of a 12-volume set
he is editing for Oxford University Press, focusing on historical landmarks
thematically. Included in the series is Landmarks of the Civil
War, by Nina Silber and Landmarks of the Revolution,
by Gary Nash.
Hortons portion of the series covers traditional
landmarks in African American history such as the African Meeting House;
the Lott House in Brooklyn, NY; and the Frederick Douglass House in
Washington. In addition to those more familiar points of history, however,
Horton tosses in a few curves to keep readers on their toes.
One of my landmarks is Pearl Harbor, he
says. I chose this site purposefully so I would get the reaction
that I, in fact, do get. Pearl Harbor? A landmark of African American
history?
Horton tells the story Cuba Gooding, Jr. made famous
in his portrayal of Dorie Miller in the film Pearl Harbor.
Miller, whose given name, Doris, was changed by the captain of the USS
West Virginia, became the first African American to earn the Navy Cross
for a string of heroic acts during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
I use his story to talk about race relations
at the time of the second World War, explains Horton. That
way, Pearl Harbor does become one of these monuments of African American
history.
As a noted historian who has worked on many projects
that spotlight African American history, Horton often hears arguments
that historians should focus on real history and not the
compartmentalization of American history womens history,
black history, Native American history. But, Horton explains, as
the social, political, and economic definitions change; as the racial
definitions of society change; and as the power shifts in our society,
so the expectations of what constitute real, legitimate, significant
history change, too.
Each generation interprets history to make sense
of the questions of that generation, he says. If you look
at the interpretation of the American Revolution in the generation after
the revolution, they were trying to understand what this revolution
was about and what it said about the American national identity.
He explains that the slogan, African American
history is American history, made by Americans, in America, from
his last book, Hard Road to Freedom played a key role in
Fragile Freedom.
Thats one of the things I say over and
over again in the show. Its actually the last line in the show
I say, these places belong to all of us.
If you missed the History Channel program, you can
still catch Horton on the cable television network as a regular panelist
on HistoryCENTER, anchored by Steve Gillon, from the University of Oklahoma,
discussing current issues from an historical perspective.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu