History Education Hawaii, Inc., announces the release of its second HISTORY-IN-MOTION podcast dated January 15, 2020.
HISTORY-IN-MOTION tells the stories of those who are on the forefront of history education including through leaders, educators, museums and the people who make their programs successful.
On Historical Connections, Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead welcomed from Greenwich, Connecticut playwright and author Catherine Ladnier with John Dolin and Joe Webber of West Haven, Connecticut. All are bound by a common association with a World War II-era disaster that you likely have never heard of. Why?
When readers of the Rochester Times-Union received their Thursday evening, June 14, 1945 editions they and Americans across the nation read news of the greatest single transport disaster during World War II -and its details were kept classified for decades. It would be many years before family members and the public would learn details about the mysterious circumstances of the HMT Rohna disaster.
In the darkness of the night and in bad weather the British troops ship HMT Rohna sank after a 30 minute enemy air attack on November 26, 1943 off the coast of Algeria. Of the 1,981 U.S. Navy personnel aboard 1,015 were lost. It was the first attack of its kind, and warfare would never be the same.
You’re invited to take a few moments to visit Ladnier's web site, DearEva.org to learn about her plays. Also, learn more by visiting the web site of the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association.
On Speaking of Books, Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead welcomed by phone from Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) Dr. Thant Myint-U, author of The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century.
He is the founder and chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust. His grandfather was the renowned Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant.
Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. Progress seemed inevitable.
An historian, former diplomat, historical conservationist and presidential advisor, Dr. Thant Myint-U saw the cracks forming. He dissects how a singularly predatory economic system, fast-rising inequality, disintegrating state institutions, the impact of new social media, the rise of China next door, climate change, and deep-seated feelings around race, religion, and national identity all came together to challenge the incipient democracy.
Interracial violence soared and a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fixed international attention. Thant Myint-U explains how and why this happened, and details an unsettling prognosis for the future.
Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma?
In clear and urgent prose, Thant Myint-U explores this question―a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world―warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change.
In observance of the Civil Liberties and the Constitution Day on Thursday, January 30, 2020 the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, Hawaii State Bar Association Civic Education Committee, Iolani Palace, and National Park Service announced a film screening of Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp tells the story of a group of Americans and their incarceration by the U.S. government in the High Desert of southern Idaho. It explores the lasting impact of incarceration on Japanese Americans, through decades of shame and silence, before the community took a stand for redress, and examines the relevance of their story for civil rights today.
Hanako Wakatsuki, Chief of Interpretation and Education, Minidoka National Historic Site, will speak about her work with former incarcerees of the Minidoka concentration camp. Wakatsuki is currently assisting efforts to develop the Honouliuli National Historic Site.
Seating to this free screening is limited and reservations are required. A reception will follow the screening and talk.
The public programs of the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center focus on the historical, social, and legal traditions of Hawaii. Presentations made through lectures, panel discussions, film, and theatrical performances deal with topics and themes of the past that have relevance to current events and the future direction of the state and nation. Thought provoking and educational, its programs are free to the public.
The Center is located on the first floor of Aliiolani Hale. The general public is welcomed to visit Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (excluding holidays). Admission is FREE. Learn more online at jhchawaii.net. Email info@jhcHawaii.net. Call 808.539.4999.
Join History Education Hawaii, Inc., as a member. Visit www.historyeducationhawaii.org/membership today.
Contact us anytime at historyeducationhawaii@gmail.com. Our next podcast is scheduled for January 30, 2020.
Thank you for listening!
