This archive report was first published on 8 July 2019.
Published on July 8, 2019, a significant milestone in the ongoing conversation about America's painful past.
James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, owned hundreds of enslaved people during his lifetime. Today, their descendants live just a stone's throw away from the plantation where their ancestors toiled.
"But the question is, what is right?" asked Jennifer Saylor Stacy, a lifelong member of Middle Oak and daughter of Ms. Saylor. "Having this connection with the descendant community is the spark for us to tell a more inclusive, authentic history."
Ms. Saylor's family has been tracing their roots back to the plantation, seeking to understand the connections between the president and their community. They have been in informal conversations with the museum, but no formal discussions have been initiated.
"We are talking about the pain of slavery and the ties that bind and the start of our story in America," said Jennifer Saylor Stacy. "We want to know more about our ancestors and help to give them back a sense of humanity."
A small group of Monroe descendants gathered at Highland in March 2018 to begin discussions on how to incorporate their family history into the museum's narrative. These meetings have also become a space to talk about the legacy of slavery, racial inequities, and reparations.
"It's hard to put into words what it feels like to grow up this close to the plantation where your roots are," said Ms. Saylor. "Once I knew we came from there, I often wondered what became of our people."
Historians and preservationists have been working with descendant communities to engage them in the conversation about slavery and its legacy. The African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, an initiative led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has been at the forefront of this effort.
