A recent “spectral” turn in the humanities and social sciences has led to readings of historic sites, museums, and archives as “haunted.” Decommissioned prisons, former plantations, or places from which political prisoners “disappeared” are often marked, both materially and psychically, by the violence that has come to pass in the place.

In sites of public history, the ghost is often a figure of tourist attraction and consumption. However, haunting can also be a metaphor for long-term—and often suppressed—histories of oppression, inequitable power structures, and their intervention into our present. What implications does such a seemingly ephemeral notion have for public historians?

This workshop offers a theoretical introduction and creative inquiry into the concept of haunting. Due to the cancellation of NCPH's 2020 in-person meeting, we moved our workshop to this online space. It is self-paced, so feel free to explore the module and do the activities at your own speed!

If you do participate, please connect with us on Twitter and tag your post #NCPH2020 #w9.