History | Penn Today

'We feel your pain': Local experts respond to unrest in Minnesota

Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on the public response to the police killing of George Floyd. "What we are seeing is the latest incident of the perpetuation of white supremacy in this country, and it's there and everywhere for everybody to see. We should not be so angry at the people being angry because they have a reason to be angry,” she said.

Man shakes hands with member of Ojibwe tribe of Wisconsin, an another man in headdress looks on.

Kindred spirits: Irish-Native American solidarity

A fundraiser for two Native American tribes hard hit by the pandemic has received tens of thousands of dollars from donors in Ireland. Conor Donnan looks at the Irish diaspora in the United States and at the transatlantic solidarity between Ireland and Native nations.

Column: Developing a coronavirus vaccine should not be rushed. Here’s why

Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the 1955 Cutter incident, in which a polio vaccine was rushed to production and ended up infecting tens of thousands. “We’re much better educated about how to mass-produce vaccines than we were then,” he said.

Phase One frenzies; provocative predictions; the bread boom

Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about predictions she made back in March about how the coronavirus pandemic would change the world. Berry reiterated her initial prediction that society will crave more distraction and entertainment in the aftermath of the crisis.

Gesturing with his hand, Malcolm X speaks at Irvine Auditorium in January of 1963.

When Malcolm X came to Penn

On this Malcolm X Day, his 95th birthday, Penn Today reflects on his visit to the University in January of 1963, and his life and legacy.

People wearing latex gloves crouch on the floor around a pile of garbage

Anne Berg explores the ‘Wastes of War’

What qualifies as a war, and how does the waste created by war transform the social and physical environment? Historian Anne Berg’s class looks at these two seemingly disconnected concepts.

A woman wearing a red cross and a mask over her face illustrates an announcement that says, "To Prevent Influenza!"

The sociology of disease and disgust

Ramah McKay and David Barnes discuss the historical association of disease, shame, and social stigma.

Q&A

Iran, sanctions, and coronavirus

The United States has faced pressure to ease sanctions to help Iran manage its coronavirus outbreak. Ciruce Movahedi-Lankarani, a doctoral candidate in the History Department, discusses how the sanctions have played into Iran’s energy development and complicated its management of the viral outbreak.

People march along Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia on April 22, 1970 during Earth Day.

A historical ‘Earth Day Project’

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, historian Anne Berg and a team of students are launching an online exhibit looking at Penn’s connection to the Philadelphia celebration.

Books interview: Kathy Peiss

Kathy Peiss of the School of Arts and Sciences was interviewed about her latest book, “Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe.”

Filters