The latest issue of Forum Journal captures the proceedings from PastForward Online 2021. The theme for the 2021 conference was Lead the Change, which shares a name with the National Impact Agenda for the preservation movement. In the introduction, Katherine Malone-France, chief preservation officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation contemplates the impact of conference themes and the valuable stories learned from keynote presentations bringing about needed changes to make our work more inclusive, relevant, and impactful.  

Malone-France’s piece is followed by introductory remarks from Paul Edmondson, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He describes recent efforts to craft a National Impact Agenda for the preservation movement, outlining an interconnected set of principles to guide preservation work and a draft set of goals for mutual consideration towards a more sustainable, accessible, relevant, and inclusive future for our field.  

This issue also highlights remarks of the conference keynote speakers. U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland gives an overview of the cultural heritage preservation efforts of the U.S. Department of Interior which include telling the full American story and addressing the climate crisis.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez explains important initiatives at the federal level that would benefit historic preservation. 

A conversation between landscape designer, MacArthur Fellow, and public artist Walter Hood and Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund ponders the importance of preserving Black landscapes that make visible African American struggle and achievement.

Finally, in “Storytelling:  Preservation at Its Best” Cassie Chinn, Interim Executive Director of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, and  best-selling author of historical fiction, Jamie Ford share their passion for storytelling and the different ways they use this preservation tool to connect others to the Asian Pacific American experience and reflect on how sharing the history of physical places and objects can foster healing and increase the resiliency of our communities. 

Table of Contents

• Leading the Change Together, by Katherine Malone-France
• Making an Impact Through a National Agenda, by Paul Edmondson
• The Time to Act is Now: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis, by U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland
• Preservation Priorities are National Priorities: Renewed Efforts in Supporting Our Work, by Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez
• A Conversation About Landscapes and Preservation as Justice, by Walter Hood and Brent Leggs
• Storytelling:  Preservation at Its Best, by Cassie Chinn and Jamie Ford

Watch Some of the Proceedings from PastForward 2021

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