UL Lafayette History Department

10/04/2026

We're so proud to have Mary as a part of our department. What an honest and insightful explanation of the value of a master's program!

Finding the time and resolve for graduate studies

10/02/2026

What an awesome project from our friends at the Center for Louisiana Studies. Archives matter!

What happens when a forgotten Louisiana song gets pulled from the a...

09/30/2026

Sounds like one of us!
"Metacognitive skills will be very important: flexibility, adaptability, experimentation, thinking critically, being able to challenge things. Developing critical-thinking skills requires friction, doing things that are hard, doing deep thinking."--Jaime Teevan, chief scientist w/Microsoft.

The Carlyle cofounder says the core skills of reading and writing have made people “successful over the last several thousand years,” and will never change.

09/29/2026

As the home of foundational disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, the Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy invites you to think about the human experience across time and space. Come learn with us! https://history.louisiana.edu/

09/29/2026

Undergrads: Get those essays written and submitted!

09/21/2026

"Ultimately, thinking historically is about asking better, more probing questions. It is a disciplined curiosity that fosters an appreciation for the complex interplay of individual agency, structural forces and pure chance. Instead of offering easy answers, it provides the intellectual equipment to engage with hard questions, a skill indispensable for navigating a future that will surely be as unpredictable as the past."

To understand the world today, we must see it as actors of the past did: through a foggy windshield, not a rearview mirror, facing a future of radical uncertainty.

09/15/2026

The Guilbeau Charitable Trust, which provides support for the work of faculty and students in the History program at UL Lafayette, is happy to provide a limited number of $1,000 scholarships for students who enroll in Dr. Robert Carriker's upcoming Study Abroad classes. Travel will take place during the Summer 2027 semester. While in Florence, Italy, Dr. Carriker will teach two courses, "Museums: Their History, Form, and Function" and "A Culinary History of Italy."

Apply for the scholarships by completing the form at this link: https://bit.ly/4gXQv2e

(Image: Giacomo Brogi, "Florence. Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio," 1865. Public domain.)

09/15/2026

YES. "Studying philosophy, or any of the humanities for that matter, has given me something that artificial intelligence cannot replace: a closer understanding of what makes us human. And in a time when AI can solve almost any technical problem, understanding what makes us uniquely human becomes all the more valuable."

“Studying philosophy, or any of the humanities for that matter, has given me something that artificial intelligence cannot replace: a closer understanding of what makes us human.”

09/12/2026

Join us September 21 as we welcome Dr. Cassandra Shepard to campus!

09/08/2026

Join the Opelousas Museum for a presentation on the 1868 Opelousas Massacre by UL Lafayette History MA student Ezra Jett. The presentation will take place on Monday, September 28, the anniversary of the event, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the museum.

This past summer, Jett participated in a practicum at the Museum in which he researched the Opelousas Massacre, one of the most violent acts of voter suppression during Reconstruction. Over 200 Black citizens were murdered by white supremacists. Jett researched key individuals, and he mapped relevant locations. He will present a timeline of events that led up to the massacre and will discuss the political and social climate of the era. The presentation will provide perspective on the devastating effect of the massacre on voting rights, freedom of speech, and basic survival. The program is an opportunity to learn and to honor the sacrifices made for human rights. During the program, we welcome questions and reflections.

A native of Vernon Parish, Ezra Jett grew up listening to stories of Louisiana’s rich history. Moving north to the banks of the Cane River Lake, he received a bachelor's degree in history at Northwestern State University of Louisiana in 2025. Now a graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Jett continues his dedication to spreading awareness of those parts of history long neglected. After completing his studies, he hopes to become a teacher and author.

The Opelousas Museum is located at 315 N Main St., Opelousas, LA 70570. For more information, contact Patrice Melnick 337-948-2589; [email protected].

https://opelousasmuseum.org/events-mec/the-opelousas-massacre-with-ul-student-ezra-jett/