Montevallo’s Carmichael Library to Host “Americans and the Holocaust” Exhibit

December 9, 2024

Carmichael Library at the University of Montevallo has been chosen among a select group of national libraries, colleges and universities to host “Americans and the Holocaust,” a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

“The Holocaust is one of the defining moments in the history of the 20th century,” said Dr. Clark Hultquist, professor of European history. “The stories of genocide in general and the Holocaust in particular teach us the importance of citizens remaining vigilant against prejudice and hatred in all forms and the need for understanding and tolerance. This exhibit provides a specific example from the experience of the United States in a critical era.”

The touring library exhibition — based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C. — will be on display Jan. 11-Feb. 22, 2025. The traveling exhibition details the public response to the Holocaust in the U.S. and encourages visitors to think critically about what type of response they would have had during the time period.

“It hits the high points, and that’s what we’ll base our programming around, but we’ll also take it a step further and make it more Alabama and Montevallo centric,” said Carey Heatherly, UM archivist.

Throughout its display time in Carmichael Library, the exhibit will feature four lectures from local history and social studies experts:

• Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.: “Americans and the Holocaust: A Global Perspective,” presented by Hultquist. He will place the exhibit in a larger historical context with a discussion of anti-Semitism, the rise of the Nazis and the impact of World War II. A reception will follow, and guests can explore the exhibit.
• Jan. 21 at 5 p.m.: “Basics and Best Practices in Holocaust Education using the Resources of the USHMM,” presented by Logan Greene, English Language Arts and social studies teacher at Berry Middle School in Hoover. Greene, a UM alum and the 2019 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow, will present the foundations of effective and purposeful Holocaust education. This will include discussions and explorations of the Guidelines of Holocaust Education and how to effectively utilize the timeline of the USHMM to help students understand the enormity of the Holocaust.
• Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.: “Uncovering Lost Voices: African American Involvement during the Holocaust,” presented by Dr. Greg Samuels, associate professor of secondary education, and Dr. Amy Samuels, associate professor of instructional leadership. This session will highlight the role and involvement of African American soldiers throughout the European theater during World War II. The discussion will focus on narratives that examine their collaborative efforts in the liberation of concentration camps, as well as the challenges they faced while they served in racially segregated units of the military. Sources and questions for discussion will be provided throughout the session.
• Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.: “Effects of the Diffusion of Attention and Interest Among Citizens,” presented by Dr. Ruth Truss, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Disillusionment with international affairs after 1918, domestic distractions of the 1920s and 1930s, distrust of groups seen as outsiders, and the Pacific as the primary theater of war identified with Alabama troops — these factors led many Alabamians to ignore news from Europe immediately preceding and during World War II. This presentation will focus on Alabama and how her citizens tended to overlook information critical to the unfolding of and the eventual culmination of the crisis in Europe.

Teachers and faculty from K-12 schools and fellow institutions of higher education are invited to visit the exhibition in early 2025. Please contact Heatherly at heatherlycw@montevallo.edu if you are interested in visiting the exhibition.