Advocacy | National Council on Public History

NCPH participates in a variety of advocacy efforts, as outlined in the NCPH Advocacy Committee of the Board Policy (last updated in 2023), to represent the interests of public history practitioners and promote historical understanding, which is of essential value in civil society. The NCPH Board of Directors speaks out on behalf of the membership by:

Developing partnerships and relationships with other organizations, professions and professionals, and communities;
Engaging our many publics in conversation about the relevance of history;
Being a strong advocate for the interests of public history practitioners in service to the public; and
Supporting history education with a public historical perspective at all levels.

If you would like the organization to consider weighing in on an issue, please email the board via [email protected].

NCPH’s recent efforts include:

On April 1, 2025, voted to endorse the National Humanities Alliance’s Statement on Threats to the NEH
On March 31, 2025, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s statement Historians Defend the Smithsonian
On March 24, 2025, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s statement Condemning Indiscriminate Cuts to the Federal Government
On March 21, 2025, voted to endorse the American Council of Learned Societies’ and The Phil Beta Kappa Society’s joint statement on the executive order to close the US Department of Education
On March 13, 2025, published a set of Advocacy Resources linked above.
On March 13, 2025, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s and Organization of American Historians’ Joint AHA-OAH Statement on Federal Censorship of American History
On February 25, 2025, issued jointly with the Organization of American Historians a Call to Action: Threats to Public History
On February 5, 2025, issued a Call to Action: Defending Public History in the Federal Government
On February 4, 2025, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s and Organization of American Historians’ Joint OAH-AHA Statement on Executive Order “Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.
On July 9, 2024, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s Statement Condemning Oklahoma Mandate for Religious Content in Public Schools.
On May 8, 2024, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s Statement on 2024 Campus Protests.
On April 25, 2024, voted (with one abstention) to provide a letter of support for the Establishment of the National Park Service Black Panther Party Park Monument.
On March 22, 2024, voted to support of Senators Moran and Hirono’s Honoring Veterans’ Legacies and Burial Benefits Enhancements Act and the work of the National Cemetery Administration’s “Veterans Legacy Program.”
On January 23, 2024, voted to issue a statement of concern regarding UT HB0257.