History | Penn Today

The Economist

Economists are rediscovering a lost heroine

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in economics, attended Penn as an undergrad in 1916 before returning to the school twice more: once to get her doctorate and again for a law degree, which she used to help desegregate Philadelphia.

Place-making and mythmaking: A virtual lecture

In American history, one place can be the site of multiple—and sometimes conflicting— attachments. Jared Farmer and Bethany Wiggin of the School of Arts & Sciences discuss place-making and myth-making.

A young child smiles at the camera standing in green grass holding a small American flag next to his head as a pickup truck passes on the street behind him with a passenger waving an American flag.

Latino voters and lessons from the 2020 election

Political scientist Michael Jones-Correa, historian Ann Farnsworth-Alvear, and demographer Emilio Parrado share their thoughts on the election results and what both parties might take away from looking at how Latinos voted.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Thanksgiving 1918 took place during a deadly pandemic. What can it teach us for Thanksgiving 2020?

David Barnes of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the parallels between the flu pandemic of 1918 and the present pandemic. “It’s pretty clear [the Spanish flu] wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did or been as deadly if people had been keeping to themselves,” he said.

Members of the Penn Band take the field in a row in 1970.

Penn Band celebrates 50 years of women on the field

After decades of superstition and pushback, the first group of women stepped onto Franklin Field with the Penn Band 50 years ago.

‘You Voted. But Did it Really Matter?’

On Nov. 7, Pennsylvania’s electoral votes secured Joseph Biden the presidency. Anticipating news of a Biden win, Mary Frances Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history and Africana studies, called it a time to push forward for change with renewed force.

Shape of the map of the U.S. comprised of small question marks.

Law expert Kermit Roosevelt on the Electoral College and why America uses it

As Americans await final vote tallies, who declares victory comes down to how many electoral votes each candidate receives. Roosevelt explains the Electoral College, and discusses Trump’s claim that he might take the election to the Supreme Court before all votes are counted.

Microscopic rendering of the human microbiome, genetic material of all the microbes that live on and inside the human body.

The sociology and science of genomes and biomes

Rebecca Mueller studies how infectious microbes like the coronavirus can affect communities of people with genetic vulnerabilities.

Two men shake hands and two others look on behind them in a black and white photo from the 1940s

Q&A

Iran-China partnership: A reported new deal for a relationship going back to antiquity

William Figueroa, who recently earned his doctoral degree in history, shares his take on the past relations and what the new partnership could mean.

Statue of Liberty in shadow in New York Harbor as the sun sets behind

Q&A

Is American democracy at a breaking point?

Amidst a backdrop of protests, the pandemic, and presidential politics, historian Anne Berg shares her thoughts on whether American democracy is at risk, historical parallels to the current situation, and what ordinary people can do.

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