HIST 5960/8960 "Public History: The Guantanamo Public Memory Project" will be taught by Prof. Kevin P. Murphy on Thursdays from 6:20-8:50pm this fall 2013 semester. Continue reading for a course description and flier.
This course is both a graduate-level introduction to public history and an examination into the contentious history of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It provides an introduction to the theory, methods, practice, and politics of public history. The course allows students to explore the possibilities and challenges of the production and dissemination of histories in nonacademic settings.
Students will develop collaborative public projects that will be presented as part of The Guantanamo Public Memory Project Travelling Exhibit when it is installed at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul in February 2014. These projects will either address the history of the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo or explore Minnesota connections to Guantanamo, broadly defined, including the meanings and impacts of post-9/11 security and anti-terrorism policies in Minnesota as well as the connections between US immigration and citizenship policies and local refugee communities. The instructor will work with students to identify collaborative partners as well as technological resources and expertise.
This is an interdisciplinary graduate public history course created to appeal to students in a wide range of programs. Upper-level undergraduates who demonstrate a commitment and capacity to handle the rigors of a graduate course may contact the instructor (kpmurphy@umn.edu) to request permission to enroll.
The Guantanamo Public Memory Project, headquartered at Columbia University, is a collaboration involving eleven universities across the United States. The University of Minnesota has participated in the project since 2012. More information can be found at: http://gitmomemory.org
For a course flier please click here.
