In a time marked by political polarization and competing narratives, the study of history has never been more urgent. For Dr. Alexandra Stern, assistant professor of history at CCNY, the power of historical research lies in its capability to reveal alternative ideas within the past and help people imagine different futures with them.
Dr. Alexandra Stern. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Stern.
“History isn’t just what ended up happening in the past,” Stern said in an interview with The RICC. “It’s also filled with debates, attempts, failures and conflicts… which show the many different perspectives of people in the past, and moving forward, that things don’t necessarily have to be how they were or are right now.”
Stern’s fascination with conflicting historical perspectives began in her childhood and was shaped by family stories from different sides of World War II. Her paternal grandfather was a U.S. bombardier and prisoner of war, and her maternal grandmother was a German teenager during the Nazi regime. While WWII was one of the most important experiences of her grandfather’s life, which he remembered frequently and with great pride, for her grandmother, it was a time of immense suffering.
“It was always very interesting to me how two people could interpret the meaning of the same event so differently,” Stern said. That early awareness of conflicting historical memories later drew her to the American Civil War, another era with competing narratives.
Stern initially entered the University of Pennsylvania as a pre-med student, but her academic path shifted after taking a transformative course on the history of the U.S. South taught by Dr. Stephanie McCurry.
“Through her unique way of teaching, I became very interested in 19th-century history, especially around questions of political power and nation-state building,” Stern recalled.
After earning her undergraduate degree from Penn in 2013, Stern went on to pursue a Ph.D. at Stanford University, studying under well-known historian Dr. Richard White. Her dissertation, the basis of the first book project she is working on, explores the history of Reconstruction in Indian Territory—present day Oklahoma, and examines how Native nations navigated and challenged federal reforms to rebuild the nation after the Civil War.
Stern specializes in 19th-century U.S. history, particularly the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Native American histories. Her research interests include the evolution of U.S. federal power, Native sovereignty and the complex intersections with identity. Her research aims to uncover how competing historical narratives about the successes and failures of Reconstruction shape the nation’s understanding of itself.
Stern’s current projects include her book manuscript, tentatively titled “Native Reconstruction: Indian Territory and the Making of Modern American Power,” which argues that Indian territory was a central place in which the political reforms of Reconstruction took place. She is also developing a companion site called NativeReconstruction.com, which serves as a resource hub sharing new scholarly work and teaching materials on Reconstruction in Indian country by early career and established scholars.
Stern joined City College first through a postdoctoral fellowship in 2020 and later became a tenure-track faculty member in 2022.
Dr. Stern conducting research. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Stern.
At CCNY, Stern teaches courses on U.S. History, Civil War and Reconstruction, Indigenous history and the broader history of American violence. Her course “An Indigenous History of the United States” connects historical content with contemporary issues in the Indian country, helping students understand the present through the lens of the past and reinforcing Native American visibility.
“By linking the past and present together in our studies, I really want students to be able to see the connections and learn about the ongoing presence and survival of Native peoples,” Stern explained.
Stern finds that the most rewarding outcome of teaching history is its transformative power, which is crucial in conflicting times such as now.
“I think history taught with diverse perspectives is extremely important since it empowers people not only to imagine different futures but also their role in building those futures,” Stern shared.
Sofia is a graduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College, where she’s pursuing her M.S. in Media Studies. In addition to writing for The RICC, she’s a writer for the features section of Brooklyn College’s student-run newspaper, The Vanguard. She is also a dedicated writer for the Brooklyn News Service.