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Tudor Place Hosts Series on Inclusive Interpretation of Enslavement
Washington, DC — Tudor Place Historic House & Garden launches the 2023 Landmark Lecture Series exploring ways to reposition stories of traditionally underrepresented communities in historical narratives and how these practices are leading to an inclusive interpretation of enslavement at Tudor Place.
With a plethora of untold stories of people of color in public school curriculum, text books and history books, museum professionals have worked tirelessly for decades to bring voices that were excluded, suppressed and lost for generations, to the forefront of storytelling and interpretation.
Scholastic voices, journalistic pursuits and public research over time have aligned to bring these voices, experiences and the lives of enslaved peoples to public discourse on numerous fronts. For historic house museums, this has meant being able to look at the latest methods of research, language and storytelling to integrate narratives of the enslaved into the tour experience for all visitors.
As a site with ties to enslavement, Tudor Place is committed to sharing stories that represent all faces and facets of this National Historic Landmark – knowing the lifestyle and stature of the Peter family was made possible by enslaved people of color and immigrant domestic laborers they employed. One of the ways Tudor Place is doing this is through transparency about the Peter family’s involvement with slavery and how their wealth was built and maintained through those whose labor they exploited. Tudor Place acknowledges this and pays tribute to the humanity of those who were enslaved, particularly because detailed information about the lives of the enslaved individuals was not recorded.
“This lecture series highlights research we want to share with the public and supporters, shedding light on the labor performed at Tudor Place and also related sites of the family, bringing to the forefront the complexities of the Peter family’s history and the American story,” said Mark Hudson, Executive Director.
Produced annually, the Landmark Lecture Series is a program for lifelong learners scheduled six times a year representing stories of the Peter family, the enslaved and free people who worked and lived here, decorative objects and ephemera from the Tudor Place Collection & Archive, and DC and American history among other topics. All lectures are free and open to the public.
Lecture Lineup:
Tuesday April 11 Shopping Stories: Revealing the Lives of the Enslaved
Tuesday May 9 Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade
Tuesday, Sept 12 Inclusivity & Interpreting Enslaved Individuals at Tudor Place
Tuesday, October 10 Identity, Trauma & Reconciliation: A Conversation with Descendants
Tuesday, November 7 Laborious Histories: Critical Fabulation & The Practice of Black Public History
ABOUT TUDOR PLACE: Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked here for nearly two centuries. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past. www.tudorplace.org.
Support for the Tudor Place 2023 Landmark Lecture Series is made possible through an Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) Inspire! Grant for Small Museums. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this series do not necessarily represent those of the IMLS. www.ilms.gov.
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