It’s never too late to start telling more comprehensive history.
This website is a digital resource for anyone interested in expanding the interpretation of their house museum to specifically include slavery. House museums hold a special place within the museum field. They are sites where personal stories about individuals or groups of people are conveyed to members of the public seeking to experience local and regional histories. In doing this, house museums large and small play a significant role in the creation of identity, cultural memory, and community through the stories they share about people, places, and events.
These stories are the ones which those museums (and, by extension, museum staff and volunteers) deem worthy for public consumption. As museum professionals we have an obligation to the public (and to ourselves) to share complete and inclusive narratives of the past.
This site is divided into several pages to help you navigate the process of beginning this work. Just remember: trying something is better than doing nothing. I’m glad you’re here, and can’t wait to dive in with you!
This is intended to be an accessible learning module for anyone to use, and was created by a White, queer, cisgender male graduate student from a Southern upper-middle-class background.
The various components of this site are based on my own experiences working in the museum field and the knowledge additionally gained in graduate school.
Please feel free to provide any feedback or recommendations for making the content of this site more diverse, accessible, and inclusive.