The Getting Word African American Oral History Project seeks to hire a full-time Research and Oral Historian.
Getting Word is the African American research department at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1993, Getting Word seeks to record and preserve the family histories of the over 610 people enslaved by Jefferson over the course of his life. Dedicated to the careful stewardship of the histories of Monticello’s enslaved community and its descendants, the project plays a central role in Monticello’s work to share an honest and full history of the United States, underscoring the centrality of African Americans in the founding era and beyond.
The Research and Oral Historian’s primary responsibilities will be to 1) conduct and process oral history interviews, and 2) to conduct and manage research initiatives pertaining to descendants of Monticello’s enslaved community. We are looking for a community-focused, collaborative professional to join our team. A successful candidate should have experience conducting and processing oral histories, knowledge of 18th and 19th African American history and historiography, and demonstrated experience researching African American genealogy in both primary and secondary sources.
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