Activists have organized a new group: Historians Against Trump

HISTAT [Historians Against Trump] is a group of professors, school teachers, public historians, museum professionals, independent scholars and graduate students united by the belief that the candidacy of Donald J. Trump poses a threat to American democracy. HISTAT does not align itself with any political party or candidate, but operates in cooperation with Cleveland-based political action committee Stand Together Against Trump and joins groups like Writers On Trump and Citizen Therapists in organizing to defend their professions’ ideals.

The Trump campaign represents an attack on the history profession and the communities it serves. Historians have a professional responsibility to share an understanding of the past that is “factual, accurate, comprehensible, meaningful, useful, and resistant to cynical manipulators who sell snake oil as historical truth.” Donald Trump’s contempt for evidence-based argumentation, historical analysis and accountability mocks the best values of the academy.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is a campaign of violence—against individuals and groups, and against historical memory and historical fact. HISTAT is participating in the peaceful protests of the RNC and will continue its work into the fall, publishing essays and articles that place Trumpism into historical perspective. We invite you to learn more about our organization and sign our open letter at http://www.historiansagainsttrump.org.