What is Shared Authority?

What is shared authority? How does it impact historical research, scholarship, and exhibition?

Shared authority in historical research involves the collaboration between professional historians and the public which includes the community and non-professionals. This pushes the production of historical knowledge by recognizing that everyone has valuable perspectives an experiences to contribute to public history. For example, in Andrew Hurley’s Scholars in the Asphalt Jungle “engineering students at Howard University mingled with homeless populations in Washington, DC and put their technical skills to use inventing an inflatable sleeping bag.” The work performed by students contributed to their community. The use of activism through understanding what people in their community lacked by focusing on real life experiences they were able to use their resources to assist those who need it most.

In historical research, shared authority can lead to more inclusive and diverse narratives as it includes voices that are often marginalized or overlooked in traditional scholarship. It is important that professional historians build a strong and trusting relationship with people of diverse communities in order to receive more detailed and in-depth historical findings. “Within diverse neighborhoods, fear of opening or aggravating social wounds may migrate against serious historical investigation.” With all of the historical and present day hardships that urban residents face it is imperative that professional historians make communities feel at ease in order for them to have a richer, more nuanced understanding of history.

A march for the PV 19 [Photograph by Frank Jackson, 1991]

For exhibitions, shared authority can transform the way museums and historical institutions engage with their audiences. By involving the community members in their processing, exhibitions can become more relevant and relatable to the public, leading to more community and engagement.