What Good Is a Moment?

Abstract

Abstract:Focusing on momentary experiences of individual's past lives, while posing unique challenges, also present new opportunities to connect the past to the present. When accomplished via rigorous research, privileging the moment enables scholars to draw people into thinking about these lives critically and empathetically. We can critique and seek to understand, for instance, both the Confederate soldier who fought for a government seeking to maintain slavery, and the Black civilian who leaped at the opportunity to shoot at that soldier.