Description
Reporting to the Director of JHU Museums, and working closely with the Center for Africana Studies and the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, the Curatorial Fellow for Slavery and Justice will conduct research, create exhibitions, and develop educational programming related to the history of slavery and segregation in Baltimore in collaboration with the university’s two nineteenth-century historic house museums, Homewood Museum and Evergreen Museum & Library. Central to the fellow’s research is the two-fold goal of 1) examining the understudied history of slavery, race, and labor during the eighteenth and nineteenth century in the northwest Baltimore neighborhoods where the two houses are located and 2) applying research findings to new interpretive experiences at the museums and in the Baltimore community. During this two-year appointment, the fellow will make research discoveries relevant to contemporary audiences by forging connections between Baltimore history and racial justice in the city at present. The fellow will serve as a vital member of the team implementing a new Mellon Foundation-funded project, Inheritance Baltimore: Humanities and Arts Education for Black Liberation.
About Inheritance Baltimore
Inheritance Baltimore (IB) is a reparations program for Humanities education and Arts-based public engagement in Black Baltimore. IB programming, research, and exhibitions are guided by our framework of reparative racial justice, which centers black expertise and ways of knowing in the creation and preservation of knowledge. https://inheritancebaltimore.jhu.edu/about/
Responsibilities of the position include:
§ Develop and execute innovative public educational programs and/or exhibits exploring research findings that empower descendent communities, and support positive reconciliation, restorative justice, and shared understanding between JHU and the broader community.
§ Conduct in-depth, primary-source research on the neighborhoods surrounding present-day Evergreen Museum and Homewood focusing on the history of the enslaved and free black workers who labored and resided in the area from the eighteenth century to the early twentieth century.
§ Use research findings to develop new interpretive content and audience engagement strategies for the museums that reflect best practices in racial equity work within and through museums.
§ Follow museum best-practices for creating and evaluating exhibit and program content, collaborating with community stakeholders, and accommodating various learning preferences of potential audience members.
Develop and participate in educational opportunities within a community of other IB fellows and with JHU students in the Museums & Society minor, the Africana Studies major, and other fields of study
Qualifications
§ Master’s degree in U.S. History, American Studies, Africana Studies, Public History, Museum Studies, or a related field required, Ph.D. preferred.
§ Demonstrated cultural competency and experience with Africana / African American community engagement.
§ 3-5 years of experience working in a museum, public history, or related setting. Additional education beyond an advanced degree may substitute for required experience.
§ Experience in exhibit and/or educational program development and execution.
§ Demonstrated ability to undertake self-directed scholarly research.
Application Instructions
Please apply through the JHU Hopkins link
For consideration, please apply no later than March 4, 2022. Please submit the following: (a) cover letter; (b) curriculum vitae; (c) list of two references with names, titles, institutions, email addresses, and telephone numbers; and (d) any end-of-semester student evaluations for any previous courses taught (if available). If you have any questions, you may contact Lori Finkelstein, lfinkelstein@jhu.edu, JHU Director of Museums
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