A Young Historian
Product of my enviorment Dena Miles
Growing up in Austin, Texas, a city known for its progressive spirit and vibrant diversity, influenced my passion for history at a young age, as political activism is deeply ingrained in the city’s culture! I vividly remember attending marches annually that began early in the morning, starting at the University of Texas at Austin campus statue of Martin Luther King Jr. Next, moving to the state capital for a keynote speech from a leader of the community, and lastly, ending at the historic Huston Tillotson campus, Austin’s first institution of higher learning, and is also the city’s only Historically Black College and University.
I’ve learned firsthand the importance of understanding the past to shape a better future by instilling a seed in the minds of our youth. My degree track is a degree in history with a concentration in education, which drives my passion to gain an inclusive understanding and shape the minds of our youth to be more culturally aware critical thinkers. Witnessing my mother’s 20-year dedication to teaching, I’ve gained invaluable insight and understanding that helped further solidify my track.
I’ve always been captivated by the question of how we got here. That inherent curiosity ultimately led me to choose history as my major during my undergraduate studies. In my pursuits to gain the best understanding of how human relations and innovation produced modern society, I’ve discovered a more profound appreciation for the social science of History. Learning that history is more than memorizing dates and names, but it is more importantly about understanding the patterns that have shaped humanity, both for the better and for the worse.
Initially, the prospect of learning the entire history of the world felt overwhelming. However, I quickly discovered that college breaks down this vast subject into manageable pieces, allowing me to delve into the most compelling historical subsections. Each semester offers a new opportunity to explore a different facet of the human story, making my education journey exciting and deeply insightful.
This semester, I am taking Dr. Moore’s public history course, which has deepened my understanding of social injustices that have led to the erasure of African American culture and history through practices like archival suppression, a theme explored in our discussions on archival administration activism and “The Myth.” This concept refers to the inherent biases embedded in the neutral vocabulary and vague descriptions used within archives. After being assigned the reading “The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives” by Sam Winn, I recognized the compelling argument that biases significantly influence the work of archivists. The privilege and perspective my esteemed peers offer will also be forever valuable as we often discuss social injustice issues and frequently recognize the ongoing nature of these problems. I personally concluded from the readings and subsequent class discussions that achieving true neutrality in archival practices is unattainable and detracts from archivists’ ethical responsibility to preserve diverse histories. Acknowledging the biased practices that often remain unknown and unchallenged was a very enlightening experience that reshaped my perspective as a public historian, showing how important it is as critical thinkers entering the historical work force that we construct a more inclusive environment for future generations by first learning to be more mindful of the nuanced details that will influence the narratives.
Specifically as a history student attending the best HBCU in Texas known as Prairie View A & M, I benefit from the university’s rich historical ties to the land. Prairie View A&M’s origins as a former plantation connect to the broader context of systematic oppression as we studied the transition from the Alta Vista plantation to an agricultural and mechanical school. My experience at PVAMU has opened my eyes to the complexities of systemic discrimination like the one within the university’s operations. Our university’s founding sought to provide an education for Black individuals while operating under the authority of Texas A&M. This history reveals that despite being unable to attend Texas A&M at the time, we were still marginalized, and so-called “separate but equal” with significant disparities in resource allocation and funding. This realization gives me a unique perspective as a historian, allowing me to observe how historical discrimination continues to affect our community today.