The AHA announces a series of online forums featuring prominent historians commenting on the upcoming presidential and vice-presidential debates.  This conversation is part of an ongoing AHA Roundtable, arising from the Association’s commitment to injecting historical thinking into public culture.   For each debate we have assembled approximately four to five historians working in fields likely to be covered, and asked them to provide us with their responses by the following morning. 

The AHA Roundtable series brings together professional historians to offer historically informed commentary on current events. We ask all participants to comment as historians, that is, to deliberate on how their understanding of the past can contextualize the topic at hand. We do not ask for absolute neutrality or reportage, but we do ask that participants refrain from mere partisanship, not to mention polemic.  The AHA Roundtable, a unique forum that remains sensitive to the past while discussing the present, will be a showcase not only for the study and application of history, but for what we value as historians.

Watch this blog for announcements following the debates on October 3, 11, 16, and 22. In June 2012, we provided a space for historians to comment on the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, arguably one of the most significant decisions in recent memory. We hope to make the AHA roundtable a regular feature and hope to expand our choice of topics to include important events outside the US and even outside of politics.

The AHA welcomes ideas for future Roundtables. Send suggestions to Allen Mikaelian, Associate Editor.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.