Chloe Stewart

As a history student, I can’t help but recognise the surge in public interest in historical topics and events. This growing interest has been widely articulated in the last few decades through popular culture as consumed in documentaries, films, and podcasts. During the last year, the pandemic has also provided more time for people to sit down and read history books they might never have made the time for before.

Social media has played a key role in informing young people about global social movements and injustices that often intersect with each other. It has given them the opportunity to be a part of or express their solidarity with Black Lives Matter (BLM), LGBTQ+ communities, and the feminist movement. People have also used these platforms to share their favourite reads in lockdown. And many I’ve noticed have been history books.

Reading is never time wasted. Historians are constantly stressing the value of learning and remembering the past.

Oonagh Grant, the president of the QUB History Society, says that “studying history - in any form - is a vital part of learning from mistakes of the past.”

So, I’ve got you covered with some book suggestions, along with those in the History Society, on topics of current social interest.

There are endless books on the topics mentioned and I could spend forever trying to list them all, but these overviews are great starting points for all students to educate themselves on crucial junctures in our social history.

Anti-Black Racism

No one forgets the name of George Floyd – the Black man who lost his life to police brutality during an arrest in May 2020 – and the aftermath of his death which saw the eruption of BLM solidarity across the globe. Alongside protests and a social media blackout, many of us read books, listened to podcasts, and watched documentaries and films in an effort to educate ourselves on the roots of anti-Black racism in the United States, and across the world.

Student historians find this upsurge in social interest with credit to BLM inspiring. However, the QUB History Society president also says that “we can’t just show our support once and then let it die down” adding, “solidarity should be an ongoing process rather than a passing trend.”

There are countless books on African American history. James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton’s Slavery and the Making of America is a good place to start, as it documents the vital relationship between slavery and the formation of the United States. The book’s emphasis on studying the inhumane effects of the early institution, through the words of the slaves themselves, makes it a must-read for anyone aiming to support BLM through the study of African American history. Another great way to understand Black American history is through historical fiction. The QUB History Society recommends Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, which focuses on black women’s struggle, resilience, and bravery in the early twentieth century.

Feminism

With International Women’s Day just passed, it is important to mention women and the rich field of historical research devoted to the study of them. Local women’s history, while somewhat neglected in the past, now occupies a vital part of historiography. One example is Leanne McCormick’s Regulating Sexuality: Women in Twentieth Century Northern Ireland, which provides an insight to local women’s sexual experiences across the last century - and doesn’t take too long to read either. As matters such as sexual violence and reproductive rights continue to be talked about by the government and media today, books such as McCormick’s are beneficial to anyone who wishes to understand the background to these conversations and to engage in these discussions.

LGBTQ+ Rights

LGBTQ+ History Month, along with Pride celebrations in Belfast every year, indicate the enormous need for history books that document LGBTQ+ communities. I recommend learning the community’s history as it is extremely eye-opening to the unique experiences and struggles that people in LGBTQ+ communities have faced in the past. Queer Cities, Queer Cultures: Europe since 1945, edited by Matt Cook and Jennifer V. Evans, re-examines queer life and culture within the context of major post-war events in cities such as London, Paris, and Amsterdam. The variety of case studies included in the collection makes it an exciting read for those looking to gain an insight to the history of queer life in contemporary Europe.

Chloe Stewart is a History Masters student at Queen’s.

CULTURE - History Books You Should Read Right Now