Tell your legislators how history matters

For more than a decade, Minnesota history organizations have joined forces at the state Capitol to help their legislators understand that “History Matters.”

Join the movement this year  for  the 12th annual “History Matters Day” on Monday, Feb. 23.

Of particular interest to local history organizations, this year the legislature will appropriate the next two years of the Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF).

“While we are several years into this funding, with many new members of the legislature, it is critical that we show that ACHF funding for history is delivering results and is still needed,” said David Kelliher, Director of Government Relations at the Minnesota Historical Society.

The day will start at 9 a.m. with an orientation followed by a history fair in the Capitol rotunda. Individual meetings with your state legislators will be scheduled in the early afternoon (or as they fit into legislators’ schedules) along with special tours of the newly restored Capitol. Attendees can park free at the Minnesota History Center and visit the museum. Please sign up here to attend.

Those who can't attend the Capitol event can still weigh in with a new online tool on the Minnesota Historical Society website. By filling in the website form with contact information, the app will identify the state legislators for your area and send your email to them. The form has space available for a customized message to say "how history matters to you."

Whenever you speak up for history, you're making a difference. Other effective ways to speak up include:

• Send a message to your State Representative and Senator and the Governor
  
• Visit your representative in person
• Invite your legislator to visit your historic site or museum, particularly for special events
• Write a personal letter to your representative
• Call your representative
  
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
• Tell your friends and colleagues
• Use social media to spread the word about the importance of history
  
• Tell MALHM how your organization has made a difference in your community. Part of our mission is to advocate for the more than 500 local history organizations in Minnesota, so help us tell the stories of how history matters. Contact MALHM Coordinator Marci Matson to help promote your accomplishments.