Surratt House Museum, Prince George’s County, MD
2023-09-16 | Surratt House Museum, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, Maryland, 20735
Please join Joseph McGill for a book signing and sleepover at the Surratt House Museum, Prince George’s County, MD
The historic Surratt House and Tavern, constructed in 1852, is the oldest building in Clinton, Maryland. As the family home and business of John H. Surratt, Sr., his wife Mary, their three children Isaac, Anna, and John, Jr., and an enslaved community of up to nine individuals including Rachel Semus, Henry and Alfred Hawkins, James Butler, George, Jane, and three unidentified children, the site gained national notoriety for its connection to the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865.

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Relmagine Lefferts, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
2023-09-22 - 2023-09-24
Book signing and sleepover at Relmagine Lefferts, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY
Prospect Park Alliance has launched ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative to re-envision the mission and programming of the Lefferts Historic House museum to recognize its role as a site of slavery, and tell the stories—in innovative, inclusive and forward-thinking ways—of the enslaved Africans who lived and worked on the Lefferts farm, and the Indigenous people of the Lenapehoking whose unceded ancestral lands the farm rested upon.
The Alliance seeks to engage the public in a thoughtful dialogue about the legacy of slavery and the exploitation of marginalized communities, as well as conduct scholarly research into the people who lived and worked the land. The goal is to create programs and exhibits that bring together people of all ages and backgrounds around challenging issues of history and identity.
By centering the narratives at the museum on those that are underrepresented in the telling of American history, we hope that the visitor experience will become even more reflective of the Brooklyn community, providing a safe space for dialogue about our collective past and contemporary times. With ReImagine Lefferts, the Alliance seeks to address the legacy of slavery and oppression in New York, while also highlighting stories of triumph, resilience, and joy within underrepresented communities.
To accomplish this work, the Alliance is engaging historians, scholars and universities to provide robust research and new source material for educational programming; collaborating with museum professionals, cultural organizations and artists to create content that will support the museum’s new focus; and deepening our relationship with the communities near Lefferts through active conversation and outreach.

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Boyette Slave and Schoolhouse / Johnson County Heritage Center
2023-09-29 - 2023-10-01 | Boyette Slave and Schoolhouse / Johnson County Heritage Center, NC-222 & Glendale Rd, Kenly, NC, 27542
The Boyette Slave and Schoolhouse was built in the 1830s on the Boyette Family Farm in Northern Johnston County which dates back to colonial North Carolina circa 1797. This 12 x 16 one-room log dwelling was built for the Boyette’s slaves and was made from pine timber from the farm with full-dovetailed notches and dowels. The unique chimney is made entirely of heart-of-pine sticks and daubed with clay base mortar and is the only structures of its kind still standing in NC.
In 1890-1910 the building was used as a neighborhood school. In 1979, the building was restored by the Boyette Family and was placed on the national Register of Historical Places. The Boyette Slave House is a rare example of a type of structure and construction method which originated in medieval building traditions and since the end of slavery has nearly disappeared from the architectural history of NC.

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Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
2023-10-07 | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, SC, 3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC, 29414, United States
Book signing and living history at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC. This event is included in Magnolia Plantation’s admission fee.

Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial, Brookneal, VA
2023-10-13 - 2023-10-15 | Red Hill, 1250 Red Hill Rd, Brookneal, Virginia, 24528
Book signing and sleepover at Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial, Brookneal, VA

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Book talk and signing at Baldwin & Company, New Orleans
2023-11-02 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Baldwin and Company, 1030 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70117, United States
Please join us for a a book talk and signing of “Sleeping with the Ancestors” at Baldwin & Company, New Orleans at 1030 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, 70117. Cohosted by Whitney Plantation.

Whitney Plantation
2023-11-03 10:00 - 19:00 | Whitney Plantation, 5099 Louisiana Hwy 18, Edgard, 70049, United States
Please join us at Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana for living history from 10-3:30 and campfire conversation at 6 PM.

Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, VA
2023-11-10 - 2023-11-12 | Belle Grove Historic Plantation, VA, 336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown, VA, 22645, United States
Book signing and sleepover at Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, VA

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"PAYNE-ful" Business, Charleston's Journey to Truth & Sleeping with the Ancestors
2023-12-01 - 2024-02-11 | Charleston City Gallery, 34 Prioleau Street, Unit A, Charleston, SC, 29401
The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs presents two exhibitions at City Gallery that re-examine the lives of the enslaved by their descendants. Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery uses recent photography by a collection of South Carolina photographers to highlight the work of the Joe McGill and the Slave Dwelling Project, a local non-profit that works to preserve extant slave dwellings throughout the country. “Payne-ful” Business, Charleston’s Journey to Truth pairs reproductions of historic advertisements with paintings of the enslaved by artist John W. Jones. The exhibitions are on view December 1, 2023 – February 11, 2024, at City Gallery. City Gallery will host a reception on Friday, December 1 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.; it is free and open to the public.
Sleeping with the Ancestors
Sleeping with the Ancestors uses more than 40 photographs by a collection of SC photographers to highlight the work of the Slave Dwelling Project. The Slave Dwelling Project, founded in 2010 by Joe McGill, focuses attention on the lives of the enslaved through the examination of the buildings where they lived. The Slave Dwelling Project has reached more than one hundred fifty sites in twenty-five states and the District of Columbia, engaging with diverse audiences at historic locations where experts, including McGill, conduct programs, give lectures, and spend nights in the dwellings. McGill and co-author Herb Frazier recently released the book, Sleeping with the Ancestors (Hachette Publishing, 2023, bit.ly/3sb9S0R), focusing on the history of each location that the Slave Dwelling Project has visited.
The Slave Dwelling Project envisions a future in which the hearts and minds of Americans acknowledge a more truthful and inclusive narrative of the history of the nation that honors the contributions of all people, is embedded and preserved in the buildings and artifacts of people of African heritage, and inspires all Americans to acknowledge their Ancestors.
“Now that I have the attention of the public by sleeping in extant slave dwellings, it is time to wake up and deliver the message that the people who lived in these structures were not a footnote in American history” says McGill.
“Payne-ful” Business, Charleston’s Journey to Truth
John W. Jones, legacy preservationist and acclaimed artist, has created a powerful series of paintings of the enslaved in the antebellum period. Drawing on the historical research of Margaret Seidler, fourth great-granddaughter of domestic slave trading auctioneer William Payne, Jones references the descriptive text gleaned from newspaper advertisements as he respectfully brings to life the people who were vital to the success of this community and beyond. For this exhibition, Jones has created over 40 paintings; each is accompanied by the textual images of the supporting newspaper advertisement, including its archival provenance.
Seidler’s upcoming book, “Payne-ful” Business, Journey to Truth (Evening Post Books, February 2024, evepostbooks.com), incorporates Jones’ compelling images in support of the historical interpretation of her recently discovered ancestors. The artist takes the Payne newspaper ads offering for sale blacksmiths, cooks, child nurses, brick masons and dozens of other talents, and transforms their trades, skills, and labors into a compelling visual narrative of the pervasiveness and magnitude of the contributions of the enslaved.
Born May 11, 1950, in Columbia, SC, John W. Jones has been a freelance artist and illustrator for more than 25 years. His former clients include Time Life Books, IBM, Westinghouse, Rubbermaid, NASA, Gadded Space and Flight Center, and the U.S. Postal Service. Jones explores life through art. This multi-talented artist uses oils, acrylics, and watercolors for his painting.
Jones’ goal is to paint the African American experience starting with the slave trade in Africa, through the Middle Passage and pre-Civil War era, and contrast it with African Americans today. Mr. Jones is the artist and author of the book and traveling exhibition, Confederate Currency: The Color of Money, Images of Slavery in Confederate and Southern States Currency. In addition, he has painted a series on the Buffalo Soldiers, the 54th Massachusetts and other African Americans in the military. He is currently working on a project that puts focus on the everyday lives of the Gullah people and the struggles and issues they face in trying to sustain their culture in modern day America. His paintings are available at the Rita Smith Gallery in Columbia, SC and Gallery Chuma in Charleston, SC.
Jones has received several awards, including merit awards for his works in the 1998 and 1999 Piccolo Spoleto Festival Art Show. Jones, who graduated from high school in 1968 and self-taught, has been drawing since early childhood. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970, Jones served in the Vietnam War, where he also took illustration classes in military School. Jones has lectured widely as an artist, activist and motivational speaker at various universities and colleges, conferences, and corporate events.
Those interested in viewing the upcoming exhibition are invited visit City Gallery from December 1, 2023 to February 11, 2024 on Wednesdays through Sundays between 12 and 5 p.m. Gallery admission is free, and walk-ins are welcome.

Book talk and signing at City Gallery
2024-01-06 11:00 - 15:00 | Charleston City Gallery, 34 Prioleau Street, Unit A, Charleston, SC, 29401
Join co-authors Joseph McGill Jr. and Herb Frazier for an informal talk and book signing of Sleeping with the Ancestors. Immediately after this event, dine with Joe and Herb during an exclusive lunch. This limited availability lunch engagement is on a
first come first serve and can only be reserved by emailing slavedwellingproject@gmail.com.

International African American Museum
2024-01-11 18:00 - 21:00 | IAAM, 14 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States
Please join Joseph McGill and Herb Frazier for a talk about Sleeping with the Ancestors followed by a book signing.

Timrod Library, Summerville, SC
2024-02-04 | Timrod Library, 217 Central Avenue, Summerville, SC, 29483, United States

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2024-02-05 - 2024-02-07 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 500 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

Center Church, Hartford, CT
2024-02-07 19:00 - 20:30
Please join Joseph McGill and Herb Frazier for a virtual book chat hosted by the Center Church History team in Hartford, CT. Please register at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/b3b0f6b7-0e17-45f0-93f0-0aee24e4533d

Behind the Big House, Arkansas
2024-02-09 - 2024-02-11 | Behind the Big House, 151 South West Boundary Street, Holly Springs, MS, 38635, United States

Davis Senior High School Keynote Speaker
2024-02-15 00:00 - 23:59
Davis Senior High School Keynote Speaker, Sacramento, CA *private event

Boone Hall Plantation, Mt Pleasant, SC
2024-02-17 | Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Rd., Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464, United States
Hosted by the Longpoint Elementary School revitalization program with an information table and book signing.

St. Luke Episcopal Church, Columbia, SC
2024-02-18 | St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1300 Pine Street, Columbia, SC, 29204, United States

Literary Festival, Natchez, MS
2024-02-22 - 2024-02-24
The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration takes pride in announcing plans for the 35th annual Celebration. Using the theme, “Rites, Rituals, and Religion in the Deep South,” this humanities conference will explore life and death experiences in a series of presentations on religious traditions, burial rituals, cemetery history, mourning practices, and historic holidays which are all deeply embedded in the Southern Experience.
This two-and-a-half-day event will feature scholars whose presentations will parallel an evolving historical American narrative of the living and the dying based on both “Old World” traditions combined with a profound sense of democracy, race, and ingenuity. This mix of the old and new has created an eccentric culture we proudly call Mississippi.

Philip Simmons High School Black History Month
2024-02-27

Roswell, Georgia
2024-03-15 - 2024-03-17
Living History and Consulting event

Jamestown Foundation, Jamestown, VA
2024-03-19 - 2024-03-21
Jamestown Foundation, Jamestown, VA book signing event. McGill has a 30-year career in public history. He is the founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, which allows people to sleep in extant slave dwellings to raise awareness and preservation of these often-neglected structures. His new book, “Sleeping with the Ancestors,” was released in 2023.
https://wydaily.com/latest-news/2024/01/07/jamestown-settlements-directors-series-returns-for-2024-season/

Fort Moultrie, Sullivans Island, SC
2024-03-22 - 2024-03-23
Fort Moultrie, Sullivans Island, SC Living History event

Behind the Big House
2024-04-03 - 2024-04-07 | Behind the Big House, 151 South West Boundary Street, Holly Springs, MS, 38635, United States
Behind the Big House, Holly Springs, MS

NCPH, Salt Lake City, UT
2024-04-10 - 2024-04-13
NCPH, Salt Lake City, UT (conference)

Griffin Spalding Historical Society
2024-04-18 - 2024-04-21
Griffin Spalding Historical Society / UGA, Griffin, GA

Wallace Center, Harpersville, AL
2024-05-03 - 2024-05-05

Stono Rebellion Private Tour
2024-05-07

Hannibal, Missouri
2024-05-31 - 2024-06-02

Juneteenth, New London, CN
2024-06-07 - 2024-06-09
