Robert Cassnello and A Digital Public History

Reframing History

In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Robert Cassanello. Cassanello is an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida. He describes himself as a “social historian interested in public history.” He has published several books on race, labor and politics in the United States. In addition, he has curated exhibits such as The Long History of the Civil Rights Movement in Florida and From Kin to Kant: Turpentine Culture in Central Florida. Cassanello co-produced numerous media projects such as the films, The Committee and Filthy Dreamers with his UCF colleague Dr. Lisa Mills. I reached out to him because of his activism around podcasts as public history form. He produced The History of Central Florida Podcast which won the Hampton Dunn Internet Broadcasting Award from Florida Historical Society. In our conversation we spoke about his vision for a digital public history and it’s implications for teaching and scholarship.