I believe that the study of history can instruct and inform the present, and provide guideposts from which to build to a better future. I applaud the movement of the discipline toward inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives, for if we are to learn from the past, we need to understand how events affected all groups, not only those that successfully waged war or built empires, but also the conquered and marginalized. History is essentially the human story, and it's a decidedly richer tale when sourced from narratives that encompass the broad spectrum of human experience. As a historian studying the United States, I am especially fortunate to have such varied narratives to work with in illuminating and understanding this great nation. As the digital age has greatly increased access to recorded history, I welcome the contributions of both academic research and popular history in telling that story.
Ed V u l liamy’s article on poverty and income inequality in the United States focuses on New Haven, Connecticut , as an example of the stark differences in wealth that exist there . He employs the narratives of homeless individuals, whose daily struggle for survival takes place in close proximity to Yale University, one of the most prestigious and wealthy institutions of higher learning in the country. Also presented are the voices of the working poor, whose labor keeps the machinery of Yale going, yet they struggle to break free of the culture of poverty . He describes the incongruity of such poverty existing in the shadow of enormous wealth and offers New Haven as being emblematic of America’s income inequality. While the problems of homelessness and poverty have not gone away in the decades since the 2002 article, Mayor Justin Elicke r’s 2024 State of the City address is hopeful that programs that the city has initiated can address some the issues and improve the
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