Department of History

a lit LED candle
This year marks a celebration of the 100th annual Lantern Night, and like many events, it looks a little different this year. But this isn’t the first time the tradition has evolved.
Black and white cutouts of people
Black members of the Pitt community recommend books, music and more that can help build bridges of understanding and spur action toward equity.
Aisha White in a black top with books behind her
As Black Lives Matter protests continue around the country and Americans celebrate Juneteenth today, Pittwire spoke with Aisha White from the Office of Child Development on broaching these subjects with kids.
Vernell Lillie in a pink suit
Vernell A. Lillie, a former associate professor of Africana Studies, founder of Pitt’s Kuntu Repertory Theatre and vanguard member of the Black Arts Movement at Pitt and beyond, has died at 89.
Researchers from Pitt and Harvard offer their take on this week’s Super Tuesday results and describe how civic engagement is changing in light of the 2008 and 2016 presidential elections.
A depiction of a coronavirus
While identifying a new disease by its place of origin seems intuitive, history demonstrates that doing so can harm the people who live there, contends Pitt historian Mari Webel.
Josh Gibson sliding home in a baseball uniform
For The Conversation, Professor Rob Ruck detailed a brief history of the Negro Leagues, the integration of Major League Baseball and how Pittsburgh played an influential role in the new face of the game.