Oral History Interview, Jane Brotman (1576)

Abstract

In her January 2017 interviews with Troy Reeves, Jane Brotman remembers her undergraduate days in Madison in the late 1960s. As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, Brotman witnessed important events such as the DOW riots, TAA strike, and Black Students strike, she attended lectures by distinguished historians Harvey Goldberg and George Mosse, and became increasingly involved as a political activist. Brotman details those experiences and explains what impact they had on her opinion of the Vietnam War, view of government, and understanding of one's obligation as a citizen. In conclusion, Brotman compares the late 1960s to the present, focusing on issues like racial inequality, the media landscape, attacks on science and liberalism, and the relationship between UW at the Wisconsin state legislature. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the UW-Madison Archives & Records Management oral history collection.