Anya Russian's Museums and the Public Trust: Critical Education and Civic Engagement in a Time of Censorship examines how local history museums in the US have been addressing the legacies and present conditions of racism and oppression. It argues that these efforts reflect a process, even if insufficient, of institutional self-reckoning and a means of public institutional accountability. This work is timely and contributes to the scholarship on the role of public institutions in promoting critical education about racism in the US. It expands the discourse on the intersections of museum practice, peace education, critical literacy, digital culture, and public conversation.

Chigbo Arthur Anyaduba, Associate Professor of English, University of Winnipeg, Canada

Anya Russian uses the Levine Museum of the New South, and the Greensboro History Museum to illustrate how community museums are important gathering grounds for local grassroots communities to come together and explore the complex and critical issues of our times. Ms. Russian points out that these American museums provide inclusive spaces for critical public education that fosters meaningful cross-cultural education that contributes to critical and emancipatory peacebuilding. Those pracademics interested in museums, local community activism, peace education, and peacebuilding will find this book an intriguing and insightful read.

Sean Byrne, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Manitoba, Canada