On March 9, the Colorado State University Democracy Summit hosted a Colorado history panel featuring historians and professors that offered a historical perspective on both state and federal democracy for CSU students and community members. The panel discussed episodes in Colorado history, education’s role in democracy, and how history has shown the pros and cons of democracy itself.
Panel moderator and chief creative officer at History Colorado, Jason Hanson, opened the discussion by acknowledging Colorado’s 150 years of statehood and introduced how the study of history can be empowering, as it’s a reminder of challenges others have faced and confronted with agency, ultimately shaping outcomes just as we can do today. Moreover, history encourages empathy, for there is not just one particular understanding of the past but a collection of perspectives. He then linked these two traits as foundational to democracy.
“This empowerment of our individual agency and empathy for others in our community are two cornerstones of a healthy democracy,” Hanson said…