Martha S. Jones: History Tells Us Who We Have Been and Who We Aspire to Be

Citizenship is a perpetual debate in America. Martha S. Jones discusses how the exclusion of women and people of color from the early Republic led them to develop their own political cultures and collective institutions. As a result, marginalized people, particularly Black women, reframed politics in a way that was more aligned with America’s democratic ideals than any other political vision at the time. Elevating their voices and visions of democracy helps clarify who we have been and who we hope to be. Martha S. Jones is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, a Professor of History, and a Professor at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. A legal and cultural historian, her work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy. She has written three award-winning books: Vanguard (2022), Birthright Citizens (2018), and All Bound Up Together (2007). Links: https://snfagora.jhu.edu/about-snf-agora/ https://hardhistory.jhu.edu/ https://alumni.jhu.edu/affinitygroups/soba https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/martha-s-jones/vanguard/9781541618619/?lens=basic-books https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/birthright-citizens/7A4BFAF68722E7EC837C2888C46E4434 https://uncpress.org/book/9780807858455/all-bound-up-together/