Nashville, TN (March 15, 2017) — The American Association for State and Local History today joins more than 100 historical organizations around the country to endorse the History Relevance Value Statement and declare the importance of teaching and learning history.
To celebrate, AASLH is urging history fans to post a selfie of themselves enjoying their favorite historical spot, and use the hashtag #HistoryRelevance.
The Value Statement is comprised of seven distinct tenets delineating critical ways the study of history is essential to individuals, communities, and our shared future. The full Value Statement can be found at https://www.historyrelevance.com/value-statement.
Endorsement of the Value Statement sends a positive message to raise the value of history in American society and help history organizations of all kinds to better articulate the value of history with a common language. History studies create a sense of awareness and identity, cultivate critical thinking and analytical skills, and lay the groundwork for empowered communities. They preserve the past and spark inspiration for the future.
“There is no better way for AASLH to provide leadership and support for its members than to have helped create and share the Value Statement,” said AASLH President & CEO John Dichtl. “As we have tried to transform the history community with the History Relevance statement, the statement has helped transform all that we do. Promoting the relevance of history, in fact, is now a cornerstone of our strategic plan.”History Relevance comprises over 150 like-minded organizations around the world, from the Smithsonian Institution and National Archives to historical societies and archivists; associations and nonprofits; and museums, trusts, estates, and local institutions. The Value Statement is endorsed by organizations that promote and encourage a sense of awareness, identity, and interconnectivity in a multicultural world through history-driven courses of study.
“We are thrilled with AASLH’s endorsement of our Values Statement,” said Tim Grove, History Relevance spokesperson. “History – including knowledge as well as the processes of research and reflection – is critically important to our society, culture, and the individual citizens who live it each and every day.”
For more information about History Relevance, go to www.historyrelevance.com.
About History Relevance
History Relevance seeks to foster a dialogue regarding how study of the past links people to the present. The group serves as a catalyst for discovering, demonstrating, and promulgating the value of history for individuals, communities, and the nation. We believe that history can have more impact when it connects the people, events, places, stories, and ideas of the past with people, events, places, stories, and ideas that are important and meaningful to communities, people, and audiences today. For more information, visit www.historyrelevance.com.
