When the Keepers of History Are Cowards with Phil Magness

In this first episode of the new season, we will be discussing the fallout from AHA president James Sweet’s apology for being honest about The 1619 Project and the issues of presentism. The issues of presentism are glaring and it undermines the study of history and the integrity of those who practice it. The president of the American Historical Association, James H. Sweet, wrote a column for the AHA addressing the problem. This created an uproar and the Twitter mob came after him. The Left created such a stir that Sweet bowed to their pressure and issued an apology, which is now above the column he wrote. Phil Magness wrote an article for the American Institute for Economic Research entitled “The Suicide of the American Historical Association" about how Sweet's Soviet-style apology is a picture perfect representation of the ills we see in the industry of history.  Phillip W. Magness is the Director of Research and Education at the American Institute for Economic Research and a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute. He holds a PhD and MPP from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy, and a BA from the University of St. Thomas (Houston). His books include “Colonization After Emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement”; “Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education”; and “The 1619 Project: A Critique.” He has taught public policy, economics, and international trade at American University, George Mason University, and Berry College. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, Politico, Reason, National Review, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and subscribe to our podcast and leave a rating and a review. It would be greatly appreciated.