“Tag Team, back again. Check it to wreck it, let’s begin” – “Whoomp (There It Is)” by Tag Team

I’m beyond excited to return to this blog. I’m here with a new approach to my research, a new purpose, and, dare I say, a new attitude (cue the Patti LaBelle).

I’m still a historian. I still study the history of educational programs in American science museums. The only changes are that my scope is wider—I’m looking at how science museums have been used by corporate capitalists to promote ideas. So I’m also going to talk about worlds fairs and expositions, advertising, and science themed publications.

So what is new? For one, I’m not interested in professional norms. They’ve gotten me exactly nowhere and my attempts to conform have blown up in my face. This is me. You get what you get and you don’t get upset. Judge me by the work; not how I share my work.

The biggest change is that I’m actually sharing my work and doing it through videos and blogs. I learned almost a year ago that I have ADHD so academic papers are super hard for me write—especially when I’m working on my own. I hope to do that work because it matters, but for now I’m communicating to the people.

I’m also basing my material on real objects. I’ve been collecting historical artifacts and publications from museums dating back to the late nineteenth century. I’m not going to ask you to trust my work. I want to show you what I’m referencing and how I build my understandings based on an array of sources and ideas.

Going this route does mean I’m going to miss out on constructive criticism and peer review. That’s a major loss. So I invite you all to “check my work.” See what I’ve been doing and push back—through the work. Check me on my thoughts and approaches. And I’m going to share my approaches.

Ok, enough of that for now. The work is forthcoming with more details and context. I’m just here to say I’m back like I never left, moving how I move. I’m a Black dude from Cleveland. Lee-Harvard specifically. Sure, I’m Dr. Dave. But that’s not separate or some elevation from what I was. It’s all who I am.

Check my work.

Dr. Dave