My name is Karen Sieber. I am a public historian, digital humanist, educator and nonprofit professional currently working for the McGillicuddy Humanities Center at the University of Maine, and the Theodore Roosevelt Center and Digital Library. I specialize in nineteenth and twentieth century U.S. history, social and cultural history, labor history, Black history, and community history. As a public historian, I am interested in promoting interdisciplinary, outside of the box research that engages broad audiences and illuminates diverse voices in history. I strive to connect the public with the tools necessary to better understand, preserve and share the history and culture around them.
My research has been featured or cited by the CBS Evening News, the American Historical Association, the National Council for Public History, and The Conversation, among others. I am the creator of Visualizing the Red Summer, the most comprehensive archive and classroom resource on the Red Summer of 1919, now used on five continents and a featured resource of the National Archives and National History Day. I have also curated numerous museum exhibits nationwide, including “H is For Hayti” about the destruction of the thriving Black community in Durham, North Carolina, largely destroyed during urban renewal.
As a nonprofit advisor, I have consulted for a variety of entities, from museums and PBS programs, to community development corporations and education initiatives. I am passionate about helping cultural institutions build capacity and maximize their reach and potential strategically.
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