William A. Blair, Ferree Professor Emeritus of Middle American History and Director Emeritus of the Richards Center, published his latest book with the University of North Carolina Press this month. Grounded in deep archival research in the records of the Freedmen’s Bureau, The Record of Murders and Outrages: Racial Violence and the Fight over Truth at the Dawn of Reconstruction investigates federal efforts to document and deploy information about violence against formerly enslaved people in the early days of Reconstruction. Exploring themes of narrative, violence, and information, Dr. Blair raises questions that remain deeply relevant about the politics of truth in highly polarized times.