Behind the Scenes with our MACS Faculty: Memory, History, and Reconciliation

For anyone thinking about graduate school, one of the primary considerations is the faculty. Who are they beyond the courses they teach? What are their research passions? How do they apply the principles of cultural sustainability in practice? How might they help me achieve my career goals? This year the M.A. in Cultural Sustainability is offering a series of virtual chats featuring our faculty. Whether teaching English to refugees from Ukraine, leading truth and reconciliation hearings, navigating the world of UNESCO, or working with indigenous villages in Peru to battle climate change, they are scholars and practitioners who will mentor and inspire you. Join us to learn about their work beyond the classroom and how that influences their teaching.

Amy Millin was appointed to the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2023, the first state-level commission of its kind in the country. Her appointment to the commission grew out of her work with the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project and her passion for social justice. For this chat she will focus on her work associated with these two important initiatives in Maryland, reflecting on community building, education, building trust and forming partnerships within difficult histories, and the value of real conversation.

Kelly Elaine Navies is an oral historian, writer, and poet. As Museum Specialist in oral history, she coordinates the Oral History Initiative at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Beyond her degrees, she studied at the Southern Oral History Program when she was a graduate student in History at UNC Chapel Hill. Her specific areas of expertise are narratives of racial segregation and memories of racial trauma, as well as the narratives of Black artists. For this webinar Kelly will give a brief overview of the scope of the oral history initiative at the museum, with particular emphasis on their most recent project, “Social Justice Conversations Oral History Project.”