Episode 12: Dr. Leah Lagrone on True Texas History

Welcome back to Yeah, I Got an F#%*ing Job with a Liberal Arts Degree. And Happy New Year! This show is about the value of a liberal arts education. Jeff Crane, student of the liberal arts, environmental historian, and higher education administrator for the past 11 years, hosts a wide range of guests whose experiences as students of the liberal arts have shaped their lives in school, as professionals, and in their lives outside of their careers. Episode #12 features a conversation with ⁠⁠Dr. Leah Lagrone, Assistant Professor of History at Weber State University. Dr. Lagrone's research focuses on research examines state legislation and the discourse on minimum wages for women, specifically the connections of sex work with low wages. Her current book project, “A Woman’s Worth: How Race and Respectability Politics Influenced Minimum Wage Policies,” demonstrates that the politics around race and the minimum wage for women drove conversations among labor, politicians, and progressive reformers about the future of white supremacy in Texas.  This episode unpacks the importance (and perceived danger by some) of history as an academic pursuit and emphasizes the fact that history can be weaponized and used to gain power, often maliciously. As mentioned in the podcast, Dr. Lagrone is a part of the Refusing to Forget team.  Refusing to Forget is a multifaceted project that seeks to incite public conversations through efforts such as: museum and online exhibits, historical marker unveilings, lectures, and curricular materials for public school teachers.  Please subscribe to the show, rate and review! You can follow the show on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jobliberalarts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by Silverman Sound Studios⁠⁠ Yeah, I Got an F#%*ing Job with a Liberal Arts Degree is produced by Abigail Smithson