Longish backstory to my question I am in a public history program right now and there was a question someone posed in class about making the history field more diverse. They talk about things like learning about the history of their area and community involvement. I said that I didn't think that work. People kept telling me it was a start. I think that it's not "a step" in helping I think it's putting a bandaid on a shotgun wound or something. I didn't say it like that. I get made to feel like a conservative Tea Party member because I don't think pouring money into a poorer area, doing community things, and teaching them about the history of their area is going to make them feel connected with history or inspired to go into the field. For minority students who are in good public schools the curriculum needs to reflective of diversity to stop making history seem like an old white man field. Yes, to learn about the formation of the American government you need to learn about the old white dudes but in an area that's predominately South East Asians there should be sections devoted to that. For those minority children who are more inner city or "at risk." There needs to be reforms of generations of ingrained racism. There needs to be better funded public schools, more opportunities, access to fruits and vegetables, intervention, and gun control. I think that way they are able to pursue the things that they like. I don't think they need self righteous college educated people coming and going "Look history! Aren't you inspired?!" I dunno I feel like it's a multi-layered complex problem that's not going to be changed through putting pressure on the government. Then minority groups would be able to have the desire and opportunities to look into fields that they want. However, I wasn't given the chance to voice all of this because I get treated like a conservative Tea Partier because I think if I'm living in Compton I'm going to want many other things before I have the desire to learn about history. This was my long roundabout way of asking professional historians who are minorities what made you feel inspired to go in the field? I am a white girl. I do not know what it is like to be a minority. Am I being a miserable jerk? I do think community involvement and including minority history is extremely extremely important but I don't think that's what is going to inspire people to go into the field. I will probably end up deleting this due to not coming off well I feel like but here it goes. I'm getting frustrated at the people in my course making me feel like, well, a conservative.

TLDR: Those who are minority professional historians what made you inspired to do it?