In this episode, Lance Wheeler, the Vice President of Learning & Engagement at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, joins CJ at the table for a candid conversation regarding the legacy of Black museums, while exploring best practices and strategies to protect them. The conversation examines the plight of museum practitioners and the crisis of historic preservation. Lance is a brilliant thought-leader in the field of public history with more than a decade of experience.

The remarkable legacy of Charles Howard Wright, Detroit physician and founder of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, is illuminated in this episode in addition to the recognition of historian, educator, and founder of BlackPast.org, Dr. Quintard Taylor. Dr. Taylor launched BlackPast in 2007 with a vision to make African American and global African history freely accessible to the public. Under his leadership, the nonprofit became the world’s largest online encyclopedia dedicated to Black history, engaging more than sixty-four million users since its founding.

CJ dedicates this episode to Dr. John Fleming, the Godfather of Black Museums. Dr. Fleming is a legend in the museum field who played a leading role in the development of nearly two dozen museums. The opening dedication includes a brief reflection from Dr. Tonya Mathews, President and CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.

In this episode, Dr. Felicia Bell joins CJ to examine the foundational relationship between African Americans and the U. S. Capitol. Illuminating the truth regarding free and enslaved craftsmen’s contributions towards the construction of the U. S. Capitol reflects how African Americans have played an essential role in the building of the world’s most recognizable structures. This episode will unpack the impact of African Americans on the history of the Capitol from its existence to present day.

LINKS
Standing on Business Ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3eA3zuLDtM
The White House Was, in Fact, Built by Enslaved Labor: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/white-house-was-fact-built-slaves-180959916/
Landscapes in the Making: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780884025214

In this episode, Taylor Curtis joins CJ at the table to explore philosophies rooted in cultural competency, equity, social healing, and radical justice under the weight of racial trauma. This episode is about unmasking the realities of the social construct of race under the brightness of the American experiment for the sake of healing amid times of incivility and polarizing anti blackness.

Curtis is a brilliant scholar and intellectual who is recognized as the Youngest African American Female to be Tenured at an institution of higher education in U.S. history. She served as a professor of General Psychology, Social Psychology, Black Psychology and Black Studies at her previous institution, and is currently a justice advocate strategically to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace and dignity for all.