David Blight is an American historian, author, and professor known for his expertise in the Civil War and Reconstruction era. He is the director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. Blight has written extensively on the life of Frederick Douglass and the impact of slavery on American history. Blight's work often focuses on themes of memory and historical interpretation. He has received several awards for his scholarship, including the Lincoln Prize for his book "American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era." His research contributes to a deeper understanding of America's complex past.