Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I learn more about WE WANT MORE HISTORY! Where can I find up-to-date materials and information? 

• Website: The central WE WANT MORE HISTORY! website is www.wewantmorehistory.org. Here you’ll find a map and listing of scheduled events. You’ll also find links to resources including our toolkit, a recording of our July webinar, and links for adding your event to our map and to sign up for the matching portal where you can connect with hosts looking for a speaker or with speakers looking for a host. 
• Social Media: WE WANT MORE HISTORY! is on Facebook and on Instagram at @wewantmorehistory. 
• Merch: You can show your support for WE WANT MORE HISTORY! with swag. Link here for mugs, tshirts, and sweatshirts. Link here for stickers. (Note that items are priced to cover expenses.)  

If I need help or have questions, how can I reach out? 

Email us at wwmh@oah.org 

I want to participate but am not sure how. What should I do? 

The best place to start is to take a look at our toolkit for ideas and how-tos.  

What type of event do I need to prepare for? 

That’s up to you. We’re open to any and all formats that share histories and/or how we do history. If you’re a historian, feel free to give a talk you’re already familiar with; if you represent an organization, you’re welcome to register an already-planned event scheduled between September 25-27 as a WE WANT MORE HISTORY! event. There are many, many different ways to participate, including lectures, art projects, walks, on-site discussions, workshops, and more. We encourage you to be creative!

Can I organize an event that doesn’t quite match what others are doing? 

Absolutely! Organize events that fit your interests and that will work for your community – which you know best. Events can be any length, held at many kinds of venues, and geared to many different audiences. Events can be an hour or a day long; a walking tour, a roundtable, a book club meeting, an exhibit opening, or student presentations; held at a historic site, library, community center, university, high school, and more.

Can a zoom or virtual event be part of WE WANT MORE HISTORY!? 

Yes! 

Can a display or exhibit about history count? 

Yes! 

We already have an event planned for September 25, 26 or 27. Can we say it’s part of WE WANT MORE HISTORY!? I’m not able to schedule an event on one of the designated dates. Can I still participate? 

Yes to both! You’re welcome to use an already-scheduled event, and you’re welcome to host outside the specified date range if necessary. Please add your planned event to the calendar regardless of when it is scheduled.

Is this an annual event? Can I plan to participate next year? 

This is our first try, so we don’t know. We hope that this year’s WE WANT MORE HISTORY! is a success so that we can do it again next year. 

Is the event calendar searchable? 

Yes! You can scroll to the bottom of the website homepage for the searchable calendar and map to find an event near you.

When is the deadline to submit events to the calendar/map? 

Events will be added to the WE WANT MORE HISTORY! weekend calendar if received by 5:00pm EDT on September 24. 

Does the event have to be free? Must it be open to the public? 

We prefer that events are free and open to the public. If there is a charge, we ask you to consider a fee that will only cover direct expenses or that it be an optional donation. We recognize that member-only events and financial support may be necessary, and so you should do what you deem appropriate in this regard. 

How do I find a host for an event? 

You can sign up to use our match portal to find hosts who have self-identified as interested in holding an event. We also encourage you to write to your local public library, park, historical society, museum, etc., in your community

We have a venue but don’t have a speaker. What should we do? 

You can sign up to use our match portal to search for speakers who have self-identified as looking for a host venue. You could also try reaching out to history teachers, professors, historical societies, or parks in your community.  

What types of historians are you looking for? 

Historians of all kinds are welcome! There are many ways to imagine your role in this event. You could give a lecture on a topic in your area of expertise; you could bring people together to talk about the history of your community; if you’re a teacher, you could get your students involved. 

Can we invite a K-12 teacher to present? A college faculty member? A local historian? 

Yes absolutely. The aim here is to be inclusive and to show how many people are invested in talking about history.  

Are there grants or other funding sources for hosting? Will I get paid to participate? 

No, this is a grassroots project with no funding sponsors. We’re asking hosts and participants to consider this part of a broader project of civic engagement.

Why should I participate? 

WE WANT MORE HISTORY! is a coordinated national day of programming to strengthen civic health, build community trust, foster democratic dialogue, and showcase the vital role of history in public life. It responds to heightened public interest in history and historical interpretation by activating trusted public institutions where people already gather to learn, reflect, and engage. We WE WANT MORE HISTORY! amplifies public libraries as anchors of civic engagement, intellectual freedom, and community well-being. It also centers public lands including national parks, state parks, and city parks as shared civic spaces where history is interpreted in place and connected to lived experience. Historians and educators show their commitment to the public good by promoting evidence-based, contextualized understandings of the past and by fostering excellence in scholarship, encouraging broad public discussion, and advocating for history.

The project is designed to be visible, participatory, and replicable, creating a shared national moment while strengthening long-term relationships among libraries, historians, educators, land managers, and community partners. Timed to align with America 250-era programming, it helps ensure that national commemorations reflect the full, complex story of the people and places that make up the United States.