Olivia B. Waxman

Olivia is a Staff Writer. An honors graduate of Columbia Journalism School and Hamilton College, she grew up in New York City.

Recent Articles

How Does a Pandemic Shape an Election? A Lesson From 1918

"There is not the slightest danger in voting if you wear your mask," health officials declared in 1918

By Olivia B. Waxman October 16, 2020

In Previously Unseen Interview, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Honors Pauli Murray

Pauli Murray was also California's first Black female deputy attorney general, a co-founder of the National Organization for Women and the first Black female Episcopal priest

By Olivia B. Waxman October 16, 2020

How did the 1918 Flu Pandemic End?

Nobody quite knows how the COVID-19 pandemic will end. Here's what we can learn from the 1918 flu

By Olivia B. Waxman October 6, 2020

The Proud Boys Are Part of a Long History of American Violence

"This has been a paramilitary movement that very easily understands what 'stand by' means," explains an expert on the history of modern American militia groups

By Olivia B. Waxman October 1, 2020

A Brief History of Voting by Mail

Over the centuries, voting by mail has become an attractive alternative for many—thanks in large part to the influence of wartime necessity

By Olivia B. Waxman September 28, 2020

How Medieval History Is Helping an Endangered Species

Unbeknownst to eels, they now have a great publicist—a historian who aims to transform their image from villain to environmental hero

By Olivia B. Waxman September 25, 2020

An Overlooked Milestone in the History of School Integration

Historians say that a major milestone in the history of school integration is often left out of the civil rights story

By Olivia B. Waxman September 22, 2020

Behind Trump's Push for 'Patriotic Education' in U.S. History

Trump said the government would fund the development of a "pro-American curriculum" for U.S. history. Here's what historians have to say

By Olivia B. Waxman September 17, 2020

How U.S. History Is Taught Has Always Been Political

"Is the point of history class to introduce young Americans to their heritage of heroes, the glories of American history?"

By Olivia B. Waxman September 16, 2020

Hand Sanitizer, Masks and Screenshots From Zoom: See What Museums Are Already Collecting to Tell the Story of COVID-19

Six months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, museums are already beginning to think about how this period will be preserved for posterity

By Olivia B. Waxman September 10, 2020
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