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The American Historical Association (AHA) is the largest professional organization serving historians in all fields and all professions. The AHA is a trusted voice advocating for history education, the professional work of historians, and the critical role of historical thinking in public life.
In a wide range of situations, whether involving the rights and careers of individual historians, historical practice in diverse venues, or the role of history in public culture, the AHA has the responsibility to take public stands. Such statements are posted on the AHA Advocacy page.
In an August 2019 statement, for example, the AHA “condemn[ed] the recent deployment of histories invented in the interest of bigotry, violence, and division” and reaffirmed “the responsibility [historians] bear as part of the institutional matrix of civil society. As teachers, researchers, and citizens, historians bring to civic culture the values of ‘mutual respect, reasoned discourse, and appreciation for humanity in its full variety.'”