The National Park Service and Collaborating with Descendant Communities

In her work as a historical consultant, Courtney Hobson has participated in a project that engages descendant communities with two National Park Service sites: Camp Nelson National Monument in Nicholasville, KY and Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial in McLean, VA. In this presentation, Hobson will share her experiences working on these projects, which collect oral histories of descendants and work with them at the site, as well as the benefits and challenges of collaborating with descendant communities.

Bio: Courtney Hobson joined the Dresher Center in 2017 where she works with the director to develop and organize scholarly events and programs for the UMBC community. Outside of UMBC, she works as a public historian and historical consultant, collaborating with organizations including The Southwest Partnership, Inc., Historical Research Associates, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.