My public history career began right out of college before I even knew what public history was, much less interpretation. In my first job as a living history interpreter of the Powhatan Confederation at Jamestown Settlement I realized the importance of learning from those whose history was being shared. A new hire came on board, a Mattaponi and the first person of Powhatan descent to interpret his culture at the museum.
Since Jamestown, sharing history has become my passion and life’s work. My career is characterized by working with communities to tell histories centered on fairness and representation. Working at Middleton Place and Charleston County Parks taught me valuable lessons about interpreting former sites of enslavement. Thankfully, I was in a space where people around me graciously left room for learning. I embarked on a journey of self-discovery about my own relationship to slavery and racism which laid the foundation for me to conscientiously and sustainably do this work.
I left Charleston County Parks from 2010-2013 to work at Fort Monroe, a recently decommissioned historic Army Post. I was part of a team that helped establish Fort Monroe National Monument and directed the ownership transfer of the Casemate Museum. Navigating this politically fraught situation involving multiple stakeholders made me appreciate the importance of effective planning and leadership, lessons which would prepare me for my next challenge. I returned to Charleston County Parks with the purpose of opening McLeod Plantation Historic Site. The interpretation uniquely focused on sharing the plantation’s history through the lens of the people enslaved there and their descendants.
McLeod opened the door to collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2016, we created the Ethical Interpretation of History Workshop. Its inspiration came from the interpreters who opened McLeod to the public. They came from different backgrounds but were united in their belief that learning is a historic site’s greatest purpose. The workshop was designed to support the interpreters doing this important work at sites across the country.
In 2021 I accepted the position of Executive Director at Woodlawn and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House in Alexandria, Virginia, sites of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I developed a deeper appreciation for how historic places build community. I was taught the critical importance of committed individuals and small, grassroots organizations in the work of preserving and sharing local history. I was reminded that no matter our opinions of the nation’s history, ours is a shared past and the fundamental role of historic sites and museums is to bring people together to preserve that history, and find respect for each other.
I recently launched Stono History Consulting with lots of encouragement and support from trusted friends and colleagues. I bring unique experiences planning, opening, re-imagining developing, and directing historic sites and museums. I believe in the power of well-prepared front-line history workers to preserve and interpret the past. I volunteer for a local organization so I can continue to grow as an interpreter by sharing history with others.
My principles for the ethical interpretation of history stem from my ever-evolving understanding of public history and interpretation gained from my own practice and the experiences of my peers. Stono History Consulting is committed to assisting history organizations and practitioners make room for people to explore their own ideas about our shared past and leave space for people to learn without judgement.
