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 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.

2023 Advocacy Efforts

On September 14, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Council of Learned Societies on fighting for an ambitious vision of public higher education in America for West Virginia University.
On July 10, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Council of Learned Societies on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on affirmative action.
On June 23, 2023, voted to endorse a letter of concern regarding workplace conditions and site usage at the Museum of the American Revolution.
On May 15, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Historical Association opposing exclusion of LGBTQ+ History in Florida.
On April 26, 2023, voted to endorse federal appropriations requests for more civics and US history funding as prepared by CivXNow.
On March 31, 2023, voted to send a letter to the President of Albany State University in support of the public and African American History Major proposed by the History faculty at Albany State University (ASU).
On March 6, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Council of Learned Societies on Florida HB 999.
On March 3, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Historical Association on Florida HB 999.
On February 14, 2023, voted to endorse a statement from the American Council of Learned Societies in Support of Academic Freedom and New College of Florida

2022 Advocacy Efforts

On August 2, 2022, voted to join the CivXNow Coalition.
On June 29, 2022, voted to issue a statement concerning the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
On June 22, 2022, voted to endorse the LGBTQ+ and Women’s History Education Act of 2022.
On May 4, 2022, voted to endorse a letter of support from the American Society for Environmental History for the EPA Online Archive.
On April 22, 2022, voted to issue a statement of support for the staff at Montpelier.
On April 4, 2022, voted to issue a statement of support for the Montpelier Descendants Committee.
On March 1, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On February 23, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement regarding bomb threats against HBCU’s.
On February 10, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement condemning violations of the Presidential Records Act.
On February 10, 2022, voted to endorse a statement from the Council of State Archivists on the preferred qualifications of the Archivist of the United States candidate.

2021 Advocacy Efforts

On August 2, 2022, voted to join the CivXNow Coalition.
On June 29, 2022, voted to issue a statement concerning the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
On June 22, 2022, voted to endorse the LGBTQ+ and Women’s History Education Act of 2022.
On May 4, 2022, voted to endorse a letter of support from the American Society for Environmental History for the EPA Online Archive.
On April 22, 2022, voted to issue a statement of support for the staff at Montpelier.
On April 4, 2022, voted to issue a statement of support for the Montpelier Descendants Committee.
On March 1, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On February 23, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement regarding bomb threats against HBCU’s.
On February 10, 2022, voted to endorse an American Historical Association statement condemning violations of the Presidential Records Act.
On February 10, 2022, voted to endorse a statement from the Council of State Archivists on the preferred qualifications of the Archivist of the United States candidate.

2020 Advocacy Efforts

On December 8, 2020, voted to endorse the American Sociological Association’s call to higher education administrators to support caregivers during COVID-19.
On December 6, 2020, voted to endorse the Educating for Democracy Act (Senate bill).
On October 15, 2020, voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s statement urging the retracting of executive order prohibiting the inclusion of “divisive concepts” in employee training sessions.
On September 16, 2020, voted to endorse the Educating for Democracy Act.
On September 1, 2020, voted to require a salary, range, classification code, or other wage data be included with all jobs posted to the NCPH Jobs Page.
On August 11, 2020, endorsed a statement from the American Council of Learned Societies on COVID-19 and the Key Role of the Humanities and Social Sciences in the United States.
On July 27, 2020, endorsed a statement from the American Historical Association on department closures and faculty firings.
On July 20, 2020, endorsed a statement from the American Historical Association on historical research during COVID-19.
On July 9, 2020, endorsed a letter from the Modern Language Association to the Deputy Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) urging ICE to revisit its decision to end temporary visa exemptions for international students whose upcoming coursework will be entirely online.
On June 2, 2020, NCPH Issued a statement on the killing of George Floyd.
On May 28, 2020, endorsed a letter from the American Sociological Association to Members of Congress advocating for inclusion of institutions of higher education in future economic relief bills.
On May 5, 2020, endorsed the American Philosophical Association’s Statement Condemning Racism and Discrimination Against Asians and Asian Americans during COVID-19
On April 30, 2020, endorsed a letter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to Members of Congress advocating for inclusion of preservation priorities in the next coronavirus health, recovery, and stimulus legislation.
On April 22, 2020, endorsed the American Sociological Association’s Call to Higher Education Administrators Regarding Student Educational Progress During COVID-19
On April 6, 2020, endorsed the American Historical Association’s, Statement Regarding Historians and COVID-19.
On March 23, 2020, endorsed the American Sociological Association’s Call to Higher Education Administrators Regarding Faculty Review and Reappointment Processes During the COVID-19 Crisis.
On March 11, 2020 (with one abstention) sent a letter to Congressional Leadership to include associations and nonprofits in financial support to the travel and tourism industry as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19).
On February 7, 2020 (with one abstention) endorsed a letter from the Society of Architectural Historians Letter in Opposition to Proposed Executive Order “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.
On January 24, 2020 (with one abstention) endorsed a statement from the American Historical Association Condemning the Use of Historical Sites in Warfare.

2015-2019 Advocacy Efforts

On November 11, 2019 (with one abstention) endorsed a letter expressing support for S 2827, the bipartisan African-American Burial Grounds Network Act.
On August 23, 2019 (with one abstention) endorsed a statement from the American Sociological Association on Student Evaluations of Teaching.
On August 23, 2019 (with one abstention) endorsed a statement from the American Historical Association on Domestic Terrorism, Bigotry, and History.
On August 12, 2019 endorsed Teaching Hard History: American Slavery initiative.
On July 24, 2019 endorsed a letter from 25+ scholarly societies to Judges of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkey to express support for the right of scholars and academics to sign the Academics for Peace Petition.
On June 26, 2019 (with one abstention) endorsed a letter expressing support for H.R. 1179, the bipartisan African-American Burial Grounds Network Act.
On April 2, 2019, NCPH President Marla Miller emailed an update to 2019 annual meeting attendees and NCPH members on sexual misconduct in public history.
In March 2019, the NCPH Board of Directors adopted a Best Practices in Public History document for Job Postings.
On February 28, 2019 (with one abstention) endorsed a letter from 30+ scholarly societies to government officials in Alaska regarding proposed budget cuts for higher education.
On December 21, 2018 (with one abstention) endorsed a statement in opposition to Article 6 of the European Parliament’s proposed Revised Copyright Directive.
On December 13, 2018 NCPH issued a statement on the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Board of Trustees’ Recommendation for the Disposition and Preservation of the Confederate Monument.
On October 30, 2018 (with one abstention) endorsed (with 97 additional signers) a letter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Commission and the House Natural Resources Commission supporting expanded use of leasing historic buildings in our national parks.
On July 17, 2018 NCPH (with one abstention) endorsed a “Dear Colleague” letter from Representatives David Price (D-NC), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Leonard Lance’s (R-NJ) opposing Amendment #39 to HR 6147, Interior-Environment Division A Appropriations, offered by Rep. Glenn Grothman, which would have cut fifteen-percent — $23 million each– from the budgets of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
On March 15, 2018 NCPH (with one abstention) signed onto a joint letter from 20+ learned societies to oppose the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point’s recommendation to eliminate several humanities majors (including history).
On November 29, 2017 NCPH (with one abstention) signed onto a joint letter from 30+ learned societies to oppose US proposal to tax tuition waivers.
On October 28, 2017 the NCPH Board of Directors approved an updated organizational Advocacy Policy.
On August 16, 2017 NCPH issued a statement in response to violence in Charlottesville, VA. This statement was also endorsed by the National Coalition for History.
On September 1, 2017 NCPH’s Advocacy Committee voted to endorse the American Historical Association’s statement on Confederate Monuments.
On July 11, 2017 NCPH signed onto the American Alliance of Museums’ fieldwide letter to Congress in support of funding for key federal agencies that support museums and the humanities.
On February 20, 2017 NCPH issued a statement in support of federal public history workers.
On February 1, 2017, NCPH’s Advocacy Committee voted unanimously to endorse the American Historical Association’s statement condemning President Trump’s executive order restricting travel to and from seven Muslim majority countries.
On January 23, 2017, NCPH issued an advocacy alert to members encouraging them to express their support for the National Endowment for the Humanities to their representatives through the National Humanities Alliance.
On September 30, 2016, NCPH issued an advocacy alert to members asking them to advocate for the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by asking their Senators to cosponsor S. 3391 which would reauthorize the IMLS for six years.
On July 1, 2016, NCPH sent a letter to Governor Malloy of Connecticut urging him to restore funding for Connecticut Humanities and the competitive grant fund it administers.
On February 15, 2016 NCPH’s Advocacy Committee voted to support the National Coalition for History signing onto a letter from the Save Princeton Coalition opposing construction on land near Princeton University where the Battle of Princeton was fought during the Revolutionary War.
On November 4, 2015 NCPH’s Advocacy Commitee voted to endorse a joint statement from american scholarly societies regarding concern about the impact of Texas’ “Campus Carry” legislation.
On October 13, 2015, NCPH’s Advocacy Committee voted to endorse the Oral History Association’s comments on the proposed revisions to the regulations for protection of human subjects in research (announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and fifteen other federal departments and agencies), and decided to support the National Coalition for History’s policy board (on which NCPH holds a seat) signing on as well.

NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY

NCPH is a proud member of the Policy Board of the National Coalition for History. NCH is a consortium of more than 50 organizations that advocates on federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting historians, archivists, researchers, teachers, students, preservationists, political scientists, museum professionals, genealogists, and other stakeholders. Priority issues include maximizing researcher access to government records and information, support for history education, and funding for agencies like the National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, and Institute of Museum and Library Services. NCH is also a driving force behind the Congressional History Caucus.

For more information, and to sign up for email alerts, visit historycoalition.org

NATIONAL HUMANITIES ALLIANCE

NCPH is a member of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA), founded in 1981, the NHA is a non-profit organization to advance national humanities policy in the areas of research, education, preservation and public programs. NHA is supported by nearly one hundred national, state and local member organizations and institutions, including: scholarly and professional associations; higher education associations; organizations of museums, libraries, historical societies and state humanities councils; university-based and independent humanities research centers; and colleges and universities. One of the alliance’s highlights is Humanities Advocacy Day, an opportunity each March for the entire humanities community to convene, meet with their elected officials, and convey the importance of federal support for the humanities.

ENVISIONING THE NPS’S NEXT 100 YEARS

The National Parks Conservation Association convened a National Parks Second Century Commission for the upcoming 100th anniversary of NPS in 2016. After soliciting input from a wide variety of stakeholders, the commission recommended “a sweeping expansion of the National Park ‘idea’.”