#ask a slave

[lobsters-on-their-heads]

ASK A SLAVE Ep 1: Meet Lizzie Mae

How am I only seeing this six years after it was posted?!?!

[montpelierenslavedcommunity]

Host of the web series “Ask a Slave,” Azie Mira Dungey talks in her interview about how public historians can learn from her project. As she discusses her work as an interpreter at Mount Vernon, Dungey points out the importance of using public history to “better facilitate those difficult conversations,” such as the conversations about slavery she faced each day. Based on what I saw at Montpelier, the interpretive staff there has not shied away from facing the tough questions about the site’s history. In fact, their recent interpretation of the enslaved community’s role at Montpelier through tours and exhibitions demonstrates their desire to better facilitate those difficult conversations. “The Mere Distinction of Colour” provides a nuanced view of the enslaved community, connects their experiences with modern issues, and invites guests to meaningfully reflect. This exhibit is one of many elements at Montpelier that collectively demonstrate their balance of civic engagement, social justice, and activism in historical interpretation.

Cauvin describes these methods of interpretation along a timeline, civic engagement being a more traditional goal of public history and social justice and activism being contemporary goals. Montpelier finds balance between these. Interpreters offer background on James Madison, his work in politics and government, and how his ideas shaped our Constitution and other founding documents. In this sense, the site encourages guests to become civically engaged in understanding the political history of America. At the same time, the site includes reconstructed slave quarters in the South Yard, “The Mere Distinction of Colour,” and an overall narrative deliberately inclusive of Montpelier’s enslaved community. These elements all tell the story of an underrepresented, legally oppressed, minority population that has often been left out of historical interpretation despite a significant presence in American history. This, combined with Montpelier’s effort to include the voices of the descendent community, demonstrates the site’s additional emphasis on social justice and activism. By partnering with those descended from the enslaved community at Montpelier, interpreters can tell a more complete story of the site and further facilitate difficult conversations. 

To me, the big takeaway regarding the interpretation of the enslaved community at Montpelier is all of this. Providing a complex and nuanced view of the enslaved community, facilitating meaningful reflection and dialogue, and reaching a variety of publics at different levels are only a few of the ways in which Montpelier has created a historical house museum site that effectively tells the story of its enslaved community. Even so, this process is by no means complete. As Montpelier continues to reconstruct slave quarters and conduct more archaeological digs, they must also build upon and enhance their interpretation of the enslaved community at Montpelier. But for now, their work is exemplary– a model for public history interpretation.

[dsudis]

Ask A Slave is a satirical web series based on the actress' time working as a living history character at the popular historic site, George Washington's Mount Vernon. Starring Azie Dungey as Lizzie Mae and directed by Jordan Black. All questions and interactions are based on true events.

[beginningspod]

I didn’t know much about Azie Dungey before we sat down to talk, besides the fact that I dug her webseries Ask a Slave and that she writes for a show I really love Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But tomorrow on Beginnings, you’ll find out, as I did, that Azie’s had a pretty fascinating life, and we get in deep about everything, including her father, who was a music producer and Nation of Islam five percenter. On top of being fascinating, Azie’s a cool person, and you’ll enjoy getting to know her! Tomorrow on Beginnings!

[vaginal-discourse-blog]

Actor Azie Mira Dungey created a web series based off of her experiences working as a living historical character at George Washington's Mount Vernon, a popular historic site where tourists can interact with actors playing historical figures. Dungey, a woman of color pretending to exist in a time when America enslaved thousands of Africans, was naturally asked a barrage of ignorant questions during her work day. Dungey used real questions asked of her to create a series of satirical videos in which her character answers them with frankness and sass. 

 Dungey’s character is the unruly woman on the inside of every oppressed black female silenced by slavery. Through the character of Lizzie Mae, she is able to mock the “high culture” of a pair of slave owners known as George and Martha Washington. Her persona of obedient servant quickly deteriorates when she is asked a series of questions about serving Martha Washington, which reveal her inner resentments. To me this is the funniest part of the video because Lizzie Mae retains a calm demeanor whilst dishing up witty retorts. This is an example of how the privileged people existing in society’s “unmarked category” can have the veil of ignorance ripped from them when they are given insight into the life of marginalized people through the use of humor. Dungey’s video draws back the curtain of privileged ignorance and reveals to us how disturbing our world really is.

[backstoryradio]

For Azie Dungey and Jordan Black, history is not something that stays in a textbook. It’s grist for their satirical web series Ask A Slave - based on Azie’s portraying a slave named Lizzie Mae at George Washington’s home of Mount Vernon, where she answers questions she was actually asked by tourists. Ask A Slave lets Dungey and Black mock ignorance in the present – but it also helps to open up an honest conversation about slavery. Listen to more here. 

[willyreese]

DP, Editor (various episodes)

[kingoftheweirdos]