At this week's Round Table, Divya, Inica, Isaiah, Madeline, and Olivia spoke with Karen Murphy, Director of International Strategy for Facing History and Ourselves. Karen had a lot to contribute to our series on national identity, inclusion, and belonging through her global lens, drawing upon lessons learned from Northern Ireland and South Africa. Her worldview is predicated on the belief that we have to know where we come from--individually and collectively--in order to make decisions about where we are, where we’re heading, and what it will take to get there. We talked about how the history we learn changes over time—not just in terms of the what and the who but what is actually considered history--and how what is omitted is often as important as what is included. We talked about how to reckon with the contradictions of our history—for example, that our forefathers idealized freedom while keeping a significant portion of the population from being free. And, of course, we talked about warring visions for the future direction of our country, the period of transition we are in, and the need to restore not just institutions of democracy but habits of democracy and relationships that have been breaking down for quite some time. Thank you for joining us!
