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The controversy of teaching history

Dr. Djene Bajalan, Missouri State University Associate Professor of History
Jess Balisle
Dr. Djene Bajalan, Missouri State University Associate Professor of History

This month on Talking History, Djene and Patrick discuss why history is so controversial and how those tasked with teaching history navigate public sensitivities.

In recent years, there has been much public discussion in the United States over the teaching of history, from the controversies pertaining to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones's 1619 projects and the debates surrounding confederate monuments to the perception amongst some that scholarship on the history of Israel-Palestine is promoting antisemitism.

While history is often portrayed as a dry academic subject, the sometimes ill-tempered nature of the public discussion hints at the significance of history to many.

Given such sensitivities, this month on Talking History, we discuss why history can be so controversial and how those tasked with teaching history navigate difficult topics.

Djene Bajalan is a historian and a member of the faculty in the Department of History at Missouri State University. He was born, raised, and educated in the United Kingdom and holds a DPhil in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the Ottoman Empire and he teaches courses on the history of the Middle East.<br/><br/>
AWS Certified Welder, father, artist, non-traditional Interior Design student, and lifelong learner, Patrick Needham had a love of history instilled in him at an early age by his parents, both teachers. Born in Colorado and raised in Taney County, Missouri, Pat loves the Ozarks with the zeal of a convert. Not formally trained in history, he brings an enthusiastic layman touch to the show. He hopes his fellow Ozarkers find lessons and parallels in the past.