A Growing Urgency: Employee Wellbeing at Historic House Museums That Address Slavery

Jones, Hannah Cowan

A Growing Urgency: Employee Wellbeing at Historic House Museums That Address Slavery

Authors

Jones, Hannah Cowan

Abstract

The history of interpretation at historical sites and museums is a relatively new field, but an important one for understanding the particular stresses frontline workers face at historic house museums that discuss difficult topics, namely the history of slavery. This thesis will involve a focused study of McLeod Plantation Historic Site through a series of interviews with its interpretive staff. Their important personal accounts, stories that generally go untold in the historical record, will accompany research into the political debates and emotionality that suffuse conversations and controversies at historic sites that address slavery. Safety, both mental and physical, is an ongoing concern for interpretive staff and supervisors at sites like McLeod Plantation. The public-facing component of this project that offers solutions to the physical and mental safety concerns for interpretive staff is a Conduct Manual proposal for McLeod Plantation and its supervising team.