Video by Left Brain Right

Savannah, Ga., March 14, 2017 - The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) today joins more than 100 historical organizations around the country to endorse the History Relevance Value Statement and declare the importance of teaching and learning history.

To support the campaign, GHS is re-releasing “We Believe,” a short video about the mission of the Georgia Historical Society and how GHS—as the oldest continually operating public history institution in the South—has supported and influenced education and research for nearly two centuries.

“GHS is honored to stand with fellow institutions today who believe in the power of history as passionately as we do and renew our endorsement of the History Relevance Value Statement,” said Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. "Through our ‘We Believe’ video we are demonstrating that our belief in the power of history is at the very core of who we are and what we do every day and why the study of history is more important now than ever.”

The Value Statement is comprised of seven distinct tenets delineating critical ways the study of history is essential to individuals, communities, and our shared future. The full Value Statement can be found at https://www.historyrelevance.com/value-statement.

Endorsement of the Value Statement sends a positive message to raise the value of history in American society and help history organizations of all kinds to better articulate that message with a common language. History studies create a sense of awareness and identity, cultivate critical thinking and analytical skills, and lay the groundwork for empowered communities. They preserve the past and spark inspiration for the future.

History Relevance comprises over 150 like-minded organizations around the world, from the Smithsonian Institution and National Archives to historical societies and archivists; associations and nonprofits; and museums, trusts, estates, and local institutions. The Value Statement is endorsed by organizations that promote and encourage a sense of awareness, identity, and interconnectivity in a multicultural world through history-driven courses of study.

“We are thrilled with the Georgia Historical Society’s endorsement in our Values Statement,” said Tim Grove, History Relevance spokesperson. “History – including knowledge as well as the processes of research and reflection – is critically important to our society, culture, and the individual citizens who live it each and every day.”

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ABOUT HISTORY RELEVANCE
History Relevance seeks to foster a dialogue regarding how study of the past links people to the present. The group serves as a catalyst for discovering, demonstrating, and promulgating the value of history for individuals, communities, and the nation. We believe that history can have more impact when it connects the people, events, places, stories, and ideas of the past with people, events, places, stories, and ideas that are important and meaningful to communities, people, and audiences today. For more information, visit www.historyrelevance.com.

ABOUT GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.