It’s no secret that the job market for Americanist historians of the twentieth century in academia is somewhere between a tire fire and hot garbage ablaze on a random barge floating across the ocean. While The Metropole is not a jobs board, it doesn’t hurt to shine a light on lesser known, but very good, job opportunities for historians outside the shrinking Ivory Tower. In fact, one of our senior co-editors currently holds such a position and has written about his journey to it, which you can check out here, but more importantly is the here and now. Staff historian for The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern Law and all around great historian Jay Driskell is working with The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board and looking for a few good historians to round out it out (read more about it below). He recently contacted us about it. See below, and think about dipping your toe into non-academia historical waters.

The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is an independent agency established by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, which works with government agencies to accelerate the release of civil rights cold case records related to incidents occurring between 1940 and 1979. 

• There are five openings for a Records Researcher. GS-12. Salary range $99,200 – $128,956 per year. The incumbent works in a team environment and is responsible for accessing, researching, and analyzing government-held civil rights cold case records to support the work of the Board. Link to apply: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/778067200
• There is one job opening for a Lead Records Researcher. GS-13. Salary range $117,962 – $153,354 per year. The incumbent leads a team of researchers and is responsible for developing methods and providing training for accessing, researching, and analyzing government-held records to support the work of the Board. Link to apply: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/778067600

Please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested.

Featured image (at top): African American woman, Juanita Sealy, being carried to police patrol wagon during demonstration in Brooklyn, New York, Dick DeMarscio, photographer, 1963, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.