Shockoe Institute Featured on PBS News Hour
Shockoe Institute explores enduring impact of slavery and how to expand freedom today
PBS News Hour’s Amna Nawaz recently reported on the Shockoe Institute and Expanding Freedom.
As we commemorate our nation's 250th anniversary, this segment highlights Shockoe Institute’s mission to use the lessons of history to improve our civic life.
There has never been a more important time in our nation’s history for our nation to understand our history than today.
Shockoe Institute President and CEO Marland Buckner: “It's our hope that through the exhibit experience visitors will ask questions, to make real tough calls about where things are today, where things should be today, and how we can work together, to use the lessons of our history, to improve our civic life.”
Shockoe Institute President and CEO Marland Buckner was joined by Senior Resident Historian Dr. Gregg Kimball and Executive Account Director L’Rai Arthur-Mensah with Local Projects for the story.
Dr. Kimball who led the historical research for Expanding Freedom shared shared:
“An economic through line is integral to understanding how American history informs its future. We have systems that we think are just predestinated to be - but people made decisions on how these things would play out. People made decisions that African enslaved people would be the core of our economic system. And so what decisions are we making today? How are we going to perfect that liberty that Jefferson talked about? That’s the story of America.”
Ms. Arthur-Mensah who led the experience design of the exhibit shared:
“This was where all the chaos was ensuing with the Civil War. We needed to select specific elements to make sure that people understood that decisions made at this point in time actually impact decisions that were made down the line 100 years or 200 years later.”
Since opening its doors in April, the Shockoe Institute has hosted many visitors from all over the world. We invite you to continue the conversation beyond this story. Visit us in Richmond to explore our Lab, join our programming, and help us transform the lessons of our history into the tools we need to build a better tomorrow.