The InstigatorOnline history speaker series returns in 2021 at the Willamette Heritage Center
Willamette Heritage Center’s online history speaker series “Zooming Back to History” kicks off a second season on February 9. Organized in partnership with Oregon State Capitol Foundation to provide new and engaging speakers, the series seeks to be a public online gathering that shares historical perspectives of topics related to the Mid-Willamette Valley and beyond.
Recurring on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m., each speaker will talk about their topic for approximately 30 minutes, followed by a live Q&A session. Cost is $10 per speaker or $30 for the series. Click here to sign up.
Here’s the schedule:
February 9: When History Collides with the Present: Tales from the 21st Century Classroom with Ellen Eisenberg, Willamette University
Global pandemic, economic crisis, rising extremism, protest in the streets, insurrection, contested elections, racialized violence, impeachment. In this talk, Ellen will reflect on the ways in which the history she teaches has collided with our present moment.
March 9: Black Exclusion in Early Oregon: Some common questions answered and why it matters today with Zachary Stocks, Oregon Black Pioneers
By addressing frequently asked questions head-on, Zachary Stocks will reveal how the territory and state of Oregon created legal and social barriers that prevented Blacks from fully participating in society, and how Oregonians reinforced these barriers with violence and intimidation.
April 13: Gender and “Enemy Alien” Registration in Oregon during the First World War with Kimberly Jensen, Western Oregon University
During the First World War, the United States registered, policed, and interned residents who were citizens of enemy nations. This presentation will examine the registration and surveillance of non-citizen “enemies” in Oregon with attention to gender and gender identity.
May 11: Uncovering Salem’s Chinese Shrine with Kimberli Fitzgerald, City of Salem
Join Kimberli Fitzgerald, archaeologist and historic preservation officer with the City of Salem, to learn about the public archaeology project that uncovered the shrine-one of the few remnants of the city’s early Chinese immigrant history-and how the practice of public archaeology can help amplify the stories of Oregon’s historically marginalized communities.
The Willamette Heritage Center is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization; It is not managed by city, county, state or federal agencies. Its 5-acre campus is home to the 1841 Jason Lee house (arguably the oldest wooden framed house in Oregon), 1841 Willamette Mission Parsonage, 1847 John Boon home, 1858 Pleasant Grove Church and the 1896 Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, named an American Treasure by the National Park Service. For more information, call 503-585-7012 or visit www.willametteheritage.org.
