A New Dawn
We are actively assembling a world-class board to guide us in rebuilding an iconic American institution for telling a more truthful and complete historyOn the Horizon
Nowhere in our country’s history is the paradox between freedom and slavery more present in a single space than James Madison’s Montpelier, the estate where the then-President conceived of the Constitution, building an ideal of freedom while enslaving over 300 men, women, and children.
OUR WORK
The Montpelier Descendants Committee is the nation’s first independent, descendent-led organization to be associated with a major historic site. The Committee was founded to tell a more inclusive and complete American story at Montpelier and museums and historic sites throughout the country.
WHAT’S NEXT
In July 2021 the MDC was awarded funding through The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grant. This grant will support the Arc of Enslaved Communities project, in which MDC will create an expansive national trail that captures and codifies the impact enslaved communities had on the founding of our country.
We are reaching out to you, as one of the most respected, thoughtful and committed people across the country, and beyond, to join us in reshaping an iconic American institution.
‘Structural Parity’ in Unprecedented Board Restructuring
James Madison’s Montpelier
James Madison’s Montpelier votes to share power with descendants of enslaved people
CBS 42
James Madison’s Montpelier shares power with enslaved people’s descendants
Richmond Times Dispatch
OUR APPROACH
The Montpelier Descendants Committee’s power-sharing model can be followed by historic institutions, museums, and other public and private entities, from presidential homes to universities to Silicon Valley. We began with a critical insight: institutional power is not a finite resource. By sitting down as equals, it is possible to generate more relevance and power for all. We offer a critical model for breaking down legacy institutional power imbalances while centering the voices who have been directly impacted by the inequalities perpetuated by our nation’s founding.
The Committee moves the perspectives of descendants of the enslaved from the periphery to the center, establishing a broader, richer, and more truthful interpretation of history with wider audiences, following the Rubric for Engaging Descendant Communities developed in partnership with the National Trust and Montpelier Foundation.
The Rubric offers historic institutions a place to start addressing difficult themes and the traumatic legacies of slavery. One of the most important aspects of The Rubric is that it insists sites work with descendants of the enslaved as partners and advisors at every step to ensure they are interpreting slavery in a manner that is effective, informative, and respectful of the experiences of the enslaved.
This rubric provides a generative power-sharing model that builds more power, rather than divides it, providing a way forward for institutions across the U.S.
JOIN US
We are actively recruiting board members to guide us in building a platform for telling more truthful and complete history, reconciliation and memorialization. We are seeking leading voices from the worlds of culture, academia, activism, business, and descendant communities to change the world through the power of narrative.