When we begin the work of incorporating the histories of enslavement into our house museums, there are a few key points we must understand regarding the words we choose to use.
You may have asked yourself “Why should we say ‘enslaved’ rather than ‘slave’?” To answer this it helps to remember that we tell human stories in our house museums. What exactly do we mean by that?
One source you may find useful is “The Language of Slavery” published online by the National Park Service.
Person-centered language is very important when interpreting this or any history. When referring to a character from the past by their personhood we can maintain their human dignity.