Reckoning
The Ƶ and its History
“We have no difficulty in being proud of the Ƶ’s achievements. That pride can and should guide us. But our shame should guide us, too; driving us to work to eradicate the practices and reform the institutions whose behavior is the ground of that shame.”
From the Statement on Anti-Racism
Issued by the Committee on Anti-Racism
Approved by the Ƶ Board of Directors
September 2020
In 2030, the American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences will celebrate its 250th anniversary. This milestone will be commemorated with a series of celebrations and the publication of the first retrospective history of the organization. In advance of the occasion, a new section was launched on this website to share information online about the Ƶ’s history. By undertaking these activities, the Ƶ hopes to more fully understand the organization—our membership, our institutional development, our work—the good and the bad, and how it has been shaped by all aspects of our national story.
Our Common Purpose
One of the recommendations for strengthening democracy in Our Common Purpose, the final report of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship issued in 2020, is for Americans to acknowledge the best and worst of the nation’s history. The bipartisan report encourages individuals and organizations to engage in direct, open-ended, and honest conversations about our country’s past failures. The Ƶ is committed to this recommendation for our own institution.
“Whatever new narratives emerge from these conversations, they should be honest about the past without falling into cynicism, and should demonstrate appreciation of the country’s founding and transformative leaders without tipping into deification. They should acknowledge our faults and take pride in the progress we have made…”
Learning from Leaders
The Ƶ is neither expert nor alone in the work of reckoning. Other organizations preceded our own process on grappling with institutional history, and we benefit from their insights and examples—some of which are included in the “Additional Resources” section below.
Current Endeavors
Work is underway to reveal new information and insights about the Ƶ. The initiatives include ongoing efforts of Ƶ archivists to process materials, a book about the Ƶ’s history, and new website content. These initiatives are guided by a commitment to sharing the Ƶ’s brightest and darkest moments to illuminate the organization.
The researching, writing, and recording involved in these endeavors are essential to the Ƶ’s ability to reckon with its own history and to share it with others.
At a virtual program in October 2020, hosted by the Ƶ’s Research Triangle Program Committee in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Research Week, John Aldrich (Duke University), Phoebe Stein (Federation of State Humanities Councils), and William Sturkey (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) discussed how communities across the Research Triangle can meld the pride and pain of their regional history to create a more honest and inclusive common narrative. The program included introductions from Terry Magnuson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Paula D. McClain (Duke University) as well as opening remarks from Congressman David E. Price (4th District of North Carolina). An edited transcript of the event was published in the Ƶ’s Bulletin and can be read online. And the remarks of William Sturkey are can be viewed in this
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In 2021 the Ƶ invited leaders from Georgetown University, National Geographic, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—who had undertaken difficult work on reckoning—to share their experiences and recommendations at the Ƶ’s Reckoning with Organizational History event.
The Ƶ’s virtual event on “Reckoning with Organizational History” explored why historical self-examination matters and what can be gained from these studies. At the event, context provided by Ƶ President David Oxtoby, and commentary from poet and playwright Claudia Rankine preceded a panel discussion with Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia, National Geographic Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg, and Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Fund (within the National Trust for Historic Preservation) Brent Leggs that was moderated by Ben Vinson, the Provost and Executive Vice President of Case Western Reserve University (President, Howard University, effective September 1, 2023).
These leaders from a diverse group of institutions discussed the reckoning process, best practices that other organizations can use, and how this work can create opportunities for a better future.
A recording of the event is available for viewing here, and a transcript here.
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Tools for Inclusive Histories:
- The American Association for State and Local History’s provides guiding themes that historical professionals can use to prepare for 2026. These themes are designed to help advance a common narrative about the American past that acknowledges its tensions and promises.
- . These materials from The Kettering Foundation support critical deliberations about historical problems. They provide educators with tools to use in the classroom to foster critical thinking about historical topics.
- More in Common’s . These research findings illustrate how Americans are not as divided over their history and national identity as one might believe. There is a lot of common ground across the partisan divide about acknowledging historical failures and celebrating American achievements.
Tools for Memorialization and Historical Reckoning:
- List of articles, resources, and teaching materials collected by the American Historical Association that provide background of various issues related to race and reckoning.
- of The Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation to the President of Georgetown University (2016). You can read more about Georgetown’s working group, the university's history, and its ongoing reckoning efforts .
- of the President’s Commission on Slavery and the University, University of Virginia: Consortium of higher education institutions engaged in the work of historical reckoning. Also of note is “Memorialization and Mission at UVA,” a 2020 from a working group charged with rethinking the names of buildings on UVA grounds.
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Brent Leggs is the executive director of the and senior vice president of the National Trust. He participated in the Ƶ’s initial event on reckoning. A collection of his articles and appearances is available on the National Trust for Historic Preservation .
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We hope the materials in this section, the Ƶ’s Archives, and the online Ƶ history are helpful for all seeking to learn more about the Ƶ and the important work of reckoning with institutional and national history.