New Haven is known as a hotspot for pizza, but Michael Morand wants it to be known for something else as well: its historical archives. In April, Morand became the city’s official historian and hopes that one day, people all across the Elm City will know about its past.
“Our superpower includes our scale,” Morand told Connecticut Public’s “Disrupted,” citing the high concentration of archives, historic buildings, cemeteries and religious and community groups in the Elm City that care about their history.
In addition to being a historian, Morand is also director of community engagement for Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He believes the library can be “a catalyst and a connector” to help convert people “into active participants in history.”
“Having this cool place that can reach so many people, that’s free and open seven days a week, has a lot of online and in-person programming, gives us an opportunity,” he said.
Actively changing the present means being a student of the past, which is a process Morand likened to crafting a meal.
Historians must “be the people who provide the ingredients for the cooks, and the cooks being the policy makers, politicians, activists, advocates, people who work and run institutions.” In essence, historians should “make sure the cupboard is full so that people can do the right cooking and put the menu for the future out,” he said.
Challenging and uncomfortable elements of history are often among the most important ingredients, and one way museums can help is through programming.
Morand worked on the New Haven Museum exhibit “Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale, and Slavery,” which is on view until March 2025 and explores Yale’s historical ties to slavery. He hopes the exhibit will show visitors that history does not end in the past.
“History is not static,” he said. “You can make history. Resistance is possible. Progress is possible.”
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