[Note: the formal translation of Tikkun Olam is “to repair the world.”]
The Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy addresses a major problem in American public culture, which inhibits the operation of democratic institutions, and processes: the breadth and depth of historical illiteracy. This prize honors individuals whose work has promoted literacy in public culture, with the abiding hope that such work will indeed help “to repair the world.” We look for sustained historical work that contributes significantly to historical literacy (defined as “meaningful knowledge about the past, historical context, and ability to think historically and critically”) in American public culture, with an emphasis on history education (broadly construed) beyond the academy.
Everything has a history and history can be practiced in all sorts of ways. This prize places no limitations on genre, venue, or topic.
The current prize amount is $1,000.
The executive director and the AHA president will recommend a nominee for approval by the AHA Council. The recipient will be announced each fall and presented with the award at the Association’s annual meeting.
Past Recipients
Current Recipient
Heather Cox Richardson, Boston College
In January 2017, Heather Cox Richardson began publishing carefully researched, historically informed daily commentaries on current events, focused especially on government and politics. The initial venue was Facebook, and the audience grew quickly as the posts—also available directly via email—integrated historical context with the application of historical thinking to contemporary issues. Richardson’s commitment to crisp, clear prose and disciplined brevity (nearly all posts are 1,200–1,400 words) have enabled her to engage a vast audience in a manner that teaches without being didactic, analyzes without sacrificing narrative, and reminds readers why historical knowledge and thinking are imperative to understanding all aspects of public life.