MY MODEST PROPOSAL at the AHA

My Modest Proposal at the AHA

(The American Historical Association)  by Hugh Murray

            I not only think, I not only write, occasionally, I do.  In relation to the last article here posted, I decided to add an account of a personal incident.  The following is based on my memory, and though the wording might be slightly different from what happened, the basics are accurate.

            I attended the meeting of the American Historical Association in December 2000 held in Chicago.  I do not recall all the sessions I attended, but I do know that I wanted to attend the business meeting of the organization.  I had just left a massive session at which three historians discussed, gingerly, the then new work of Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel.  Diamond, himself, was also on the dais and defended his work from the minor critiques stemming from the panel.   When that session concluded, I looked at the program as to where the business meeting was to be held, and was surprised that it was in a room about the size of a small class room.  I doubt if 40 people were there.  Seated at the front were a few leaders of the group, including Prof. Leon Fink, and others whose names I have now forgotten.  One of the purposes of the meeting was to induct the new president of the AHA, Prof. Eric Foner, whose writings on Reconstruction have won prizes.

            At the same session, a woman historian was asked to present her report on the effort to recruit more women historians into the profession.  I listened attentively.  She stressed that though women were a majority of the population, they were a much smaller percentage of the profession, and the AHA should help to increase the numbers of the under-represented majority, using affirmative action policies and others to achieve the goal so that women historians constitute their fair share of the profession.  (In reality, this means that better qualified men might not be considered for positions until many more women were hired.)

            I raised my hand from the floor.  (I was a member of the AHA.)  I stated that I found the woman’s report most interesting.  However, there is another problem, quite similar, which the AHA should also tackle.  Women are an underrepresented majority, but they are not the only one.  Nor are they the most under-represented majority.  I noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not only ban discrimination based on race and sex, it also banned discrimination based on religion.  The preferred method to determine discrimination is by using percentages.  Because gentiles compose about 97% of the American population, then every effort should be made so they compose 97% of the history profession.  As this is clearly not the case, the AHA should encourage use of affirmative action policies in hiring and promotion to increase the number and percentage of gentiles in the history profession.  (This could mean than better qualified Jews might not be hired or promoted until gentiles composed 97% of the history profession.)

            The newly inducted president of the AHA, Prof. Foner, of Jewish background, did not appear enthusiastic about my suggestion to bring diversity to the profession.  Nor did Prof. Fink.  Someone moved that my motion be sent to a committee.  It so passed.  In 2001 I received a letter from that committee informing me that the AHA decided not to implement my proposal.  The AHA would not press for affirmative action for gentiles.  It would not demand affirmative action to diversity the profession religiously.  I wonder why?