Calendar

Historian Doris Bergen’s burning house metaphor for the Holocaust forms the foundation for this presentation, which explores the preconditions leading to the Holocaust to a house burning down with the attitudes in society being the dry timber that made it possible. The goal and emphasis of these workshops is for the audience to consider the dry timber in their communities and the ways they can clear it out before it ignites.

Connecting the long history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism to personal experiences of antisemitism growing up in Wyoming and recent examples from the news and media, McCormick aims to promote empathy and emphasize the power of words and humor.

Saturday, November 5: Introduction to Judaism and Jewish culture before the Holocaust
In the first workshop, Kylie shares music, stories, and images of the Jewish community from around the world. She lays out some of the basic tenets of Jewish culture, such as the Kosher dietary laws, that will come up in later workshops when dealing with accusations of blood libel. This workshop also shares the population numbers of Jewish communities today, compared to the population before the Holocaust.

Saturday, November 12: Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism before 1933
Starting in 70 C.E. with the destruction of the Second Temple and ending with Wilhelm Marr's coining of the term antisemitism in 1879, this workshop highlights the roots of anti-Judaism and antisemitism. Historic incidents & hatreds are compared with modern examples and personal experiences. 

Saturday, November 19: The Holocaust
From Hitler's rise to power to the Holocaust in media today, this workshop focuses on how historic hatred turns into genocide, with an emphasis on bystanders. 

Kylie Louise McCormick is a Wyoming Historian, born and raised in Casper, where she is currently based. Through her business, KLM Wyoming Historian, Kylie gives enthusiastic and informative presentations to engaged audiences as funding for her groundbreaking research. Her work on woman suffrage in Wyoming challenges long-standing controversies to restore the contributions of Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard, while her meticulous research on the State Flag offers inspiring new insights to the original design by Verna Keays Keyes. Kylie has used her research to write for WyoHistory.org, teach classes for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Casper College, craft curriculum for the Bureau of Land Management, provide transcripts for Wyoming History Day, and advocate for the integrity of Wyoming state symbols. 

Kylie holds two B.A. Degrees in History and English from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, where she graduated summa cum laude, with additional studies in Berlin and London. She then received a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Working for the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center and the Natrona County School District deepened Kylie’s passion for Wyoming history and education. She is currently the president of the Casper Chapter of the League of Women Voters, as well as a member of the Natrona County Chapter of the Wyoming State Historical Society, the Fort Caspar Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Casper Artists’ Guild. 

www.kyliethehistorian.com