In response to contemporary political events, the History department sponsored a “History Harvest” and a “Teach-in” to discuss immigrants and refugees in historical context. We wanted to show solidarity and support for all our UL students, especially our Muslim and Latino students, as well as any students who come from immigrant families. During the History Harvest, we collected oral histories from students on how they came to be “Ragin’ Cajuns.” Though some participants at first thought they did not have a story to share, many college students have a tale of migration and displacement.

Meghan Sylvester is a second year graduate student in the Public History program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The program typically focuses on community history, museum studies, historic preservation, and digital history tools. It also requires a summer internship course in which students are eligible for funding.

When I first applied for the Public History program, I had never heard the term before. After I graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology, I wasn’t sure what to do. I enjoyed the physicality and interaction with the past through handling artifacts granted as a result of archaeological work and found cultural anthropology with its myriad avenues into the study of people and culture fascinating. What I’ve come to discover is that, for me, Public History brings together what I like most about anthropology and history.

Welcome to the History Blog where Faculty and Students of the History Department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will post about their projects, their research, and reviews.

Students, graduates, Faculty and practitioners are encouraged to join the conversations on our blog and to share opportunities and events on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/universitylouisianalafayettehistory/