I first had the pleasure of meeting Christy Coleman when she
took over as president of the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar,
where I was working at the time. For
those of you who may not know her, Christy S. Coleman oversees a staff of
nearly 20 full- and part-time employees at Historic Tredegar, whose mission is
to tell the whole story of how the Civil War still shapes the United States. She began her career as a living history interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg,
where she served in many capacities until 1999. From 1999-2005, Coleman served
as president and CEO of the nation's largest African American museum, TheCharles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. During her
tenure, the museum's membership grew from 3,500 to more than 15,000. Coleman
has written a number of works for the museum field as well as historic drama
for screen, theater and on-site programs. She was raised in Williamsburg,
Virginia, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Hampton
University. I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Christy and getting
her thoughts on the sesquicentennial and various and sundry other matters of
interest. Enjoy!
JP: I’d first like to get your assessment on how the
Sesquicentennial commemoration is coming along so far? Are there any areas of
improvement that you think should be emphasized more over the next few years?
CC: What I find most compelling about the Commemorations of
the Sesquicentennial is the intent of balanced programming in most state-wide
observances. Because of these efforts,
audiences are learning more about the intersection of politics, social
constructs and personal decision. With
this is a seemingly greater respect for the roles of all involved. This is
healthy and important for the nation as we continue to grapple with elements of
the collective past that cause division. However, local events tend to be more
traditional in approach-- meaning the focus remains on specific military action
with complete avoidance of social or political issues. More often than not,
these local events are products of various heritage groups and local historical
societies.
Considerations of military campaigns and the societal impact
of those battles is another area that is remarkably different than in years
past. While there certainly are traditional reenactments taking place—the
inclusion of United States Colored Troops, discussions about self-emancipators
(Contrabands) and the home front, along with the course of battle are very
encouraging.
In the closing years of the commemorations, a shift to
discussions of legacies would be wonderful—however I do not expect that to be a
part of national conversations. Five years is a long time to commemorate
anything and attention spans rarely stay fixed on an idea or concept as diffuse
as “legacies of war.” But one can always hope! Perhaps the most disappointing
element of the Sesquicentennial is that there was no national commission
formed—instead the Smithsonian Institute’s museums have served as the conduit
for programs and exhibitions focused on the war.
JP: In 1994 you were involved in a very controversial
re-creation of a slave auction while working at Colonial Williamsburg. Do you
think that the public discourse over race and slavery had changed in the past
18 years? Do you see any room for similar events during the Sesquicentennial?
CC: I continue to be fascinated that there is still interest
in the Estate Sale/Slave Auction program.
I think the larger question is why. I suppose the answer lies in the fact that improvements
with interpretation of slavery at the nation’s museums and historic sites has
occurred, however, there are still far too many organizations that continue to
struggle with how best to address the subject. I would argue that at the root of this interpretive
challenge is the fact that we as a nation have not fully addressed very complex
racial issues. In fact we tend to avoid them or use diversionary tactics, often
refusing to acknowledge that the issues exist at all.
Over the past
eighteen years, I have attended and presented at a number of workshops and symposia
on this subject and invariably the conversion is the same. Who is doing “good” slavery interpretation? Can
we replicate it? What resources do we have to introduce it? Are those resources
enough? Will the public accept it? How do we prepare our docents and staff? How
do we avoid controversy? The answer to each of these is greatly dependent upon
the level of risk tolerance or aversion within the institution.
What I have observed thus far during the Sesquicentennial
(which admittedly is limited to the work of various National Park Service sites
and mid Atlantic organizations) has been a series of lectures or small
exhibitions related to slavery at a particular location. There has been very little in terms of the
work of the black abolitionists and their allies to press the former Republican
Party to take an emancipation platform and their ongoing efforts to help
self-emancipators in the chaos of war. But the last three years of the
commemoration are full of opportunities for interpretation at various sites,
starting with the official Emancipation Proclamation and the formation of the
USCTs.
JP: What in particular draws you to the study of history?
CC: I have always loved history, particularly social
history. I have been fascinated by the lesser known stories, the little nuggets
of personal experience that can illustrate larger truths. But I have never been
interested in being an academic historian. Instead I have chosen to be in
public history which involves engaging historians on critical ideas while
simultaneously helping the public explore the complexity of the historical
narrative—regardless of era. Being party
to those moments of illumination that visitors experience are very gratifying,
because I clearly understand that what we do as public historians is help our
visitors navigate history (the facts), heritage (beliefs and traditions) and
memory (family connections) to come to a deeper level of engagement with the
past.
JP: Do you have a favorite Civil War book?
CC: Not really—only because each new book that I read, opens
a new area of consideration. I do have a
few favorites for widely different reasons. Among the favorites are : The Fiery Trial (Eric Foner); Mary Chestnut’s
Civil War (ed. C. Vann Woodward); Bloody Crimes (James Swanson); Richmond
Burning and Cry Havoc (Nelson Langford); The Negro in the Civil War (Benjamin
Quarles) and Battle Cry of Freedom (James McPherson). There are so many others that I have read and
enjoyed—but again, each of these is compelling history and have formed a
structure that informs other study.
JP: What can visitors to the American Civil War Center
expect to see as the Sesquicentennial continues?
CC: We are doing considerable preservation work at Historic
Tredegar to ensure that the legacy of this important industrial site is here
for generations. In addition, we are building new facilities and exhibits that
will enable us to showcase more elements of the history of the war through
exhibits and programs.
[NOTE: I should also mention that in a few short days Christy’s
crew at Tredegar will be staging "American Séance," their original
theatrical production that will run Oct. 29 - Nov. 2. Visit http://www.tredegar.org/seance.aspx
for details and to buy tickets. Performances will be at 7 and 8 p.m. Cost is $10
for adults and $5 for students.]
Many thanks to Christy for her time and thoughts!
