Call for Presenters for Laboratory Session at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: The Force of Sports: Connecting Communities through Sports History

AASLH Annual Meeting- Turning Points: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Change. Birmingham, AL September 18-21, 2013

During the American Association of State and Local History’s (AASLH) annual conference the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) will host a laboratory panel at their facility, with a tour of the museum directly following the presentation. Three additional panelists are sought to add to the discussion. Ideal panelists will discuss the ways in which sports have intersected with race, class, gender, and/or ethnicity in America during the 20th century. Additionally, ASHOF seeks panelists to speak to the methods and practices available to present sport history to the public through sports museums, documentaries, philanthropic organizations, or other avenues that can serve to unify the larger community in light of this topic. If your institution is interested in participating please provide your resume or cv along with a 200-300 word statement describing how you will speak to the overall theme of the conference. Namely, as the AASLH call for proposals states, how does sports history and/or sports history organizations • Demonstrate innovative approaches to telling stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things • Illustrate activity that is unusual, innovative and creative—even if it didn’t work • Introduce provocative ideas for discussion • Encourage public involvement in our work, connecting history to everyday life • Reflect and feature diverse settings and people • Connect personal and community histories to larger themes • Promote organizational review and revitalization

In addition, the AASLH call for proposals asks participants to consider what colleagues can learn from you, your institution, and others as you strive to teach sports history in order to: 1) Achieve, nurture, and maintain relevance 2) Understand and respond to internal and external factors affecting your institution 3) Strengthen your organization in ways that account for these internal and external forces 4) Develop collaborative relationships enhancing your mission 5) Evaluate and quantify organizational impact 6) Leverage the possibilities of being a steward of historical truth and authenticity 7) Creatively market and promote your institution; reach new audiences 8) Understand and build your communities 9) Be a player in social change

All responses should be forwarded to Kathy Shinnick at kathrynleann@gmail.com no later than November 28th. Participants will be selected by the panel committee and notified no later than December 1st.