05/15/2024
Please consider applying. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of making history here in Charlottesville, VA!
Job Title: Swords Into Plowshares Researcher
Location: Center for Local Knowledge, The Jefferson School African American Heritag
Center, Charlottesville, Va.
Job Description:
The position will investigate the history of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s
public parks from enslavement through the end of Jim Crow. Researcher will study the transition
from landscapes of enslavement to Jim Crow landscapes in order to write the social history of
our community’s places of leisure. The research will inform the artist selection process for a new
work of art to be placed in public space.
As a Researcher at the JSAAHC you will work closely with the Director of Digital Humanities to
gather data, analyze information, and build local history resources to support exhibitions,
curriculum, tours, and more. Your work will contribute to the JSAAHC's Center for Local
Knowledge, a new and emerging public history institute focused on community-driven reparative
justice and local cultural preservation efforts.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
• Conduct thorough research on Charlottesville and the surrounding counties, with a particular
focus on the 1800-1960s.
• Gather and analyze public records both online and at local courthouses, such as property
records, tax records, marriage records, and others.
• Maintain an organized system of record collection and record keeping.
• Ensure research projects are completed within specified timelines and budgets.
• Work with the JSAAHC to analyze and interpret research findings to generate actionable
insights.
• Prepare research reports, presentations, and recommendations as needed.
Qualifications and Requirements:
• A passion for research and data-driven reparative justice.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Proven experience as a Researcher is preferred but not essential. Beginning and aspiring
researchers are encouraged to apply.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills are preferred.
• Proficiency in Excel, Numbers, or CSV-based data collection is preferred.
Compensation and Benefits: This position is a part-time, hybrid, one-year contracted position.
Depending on availability of funding it may be extended. Compensation is $25/hour for a total
of 20 hours per week. No benefits come with this position.
How to Apply: Send your resume and a brief description of why you'd like this position to:
[email protected] (Please include " SIP Researcher Application -
JSAAHC" in the subject line.)
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center’s mission is to
honor and preserve the rich heritage and legacy of the African American
community of Charlottesville-Albemarle, Virginia, and to promote a greater
appreciation for, and understanding of, the contributions of African
Americans and peoples of the Diaspora locally, nationally and globally.
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (JSAAHC) strives
to build a culture where diversity of all kinds, including diversity in race,
ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion,
veteran status, physical and mental abilities, political philosophy, socio-
economic status and intellectual focus, is viewed as a strategic imperative. The
JSAAHC is committed to developing people and ideas that will solve
humanity’s toughest challenges. We are called not just to observe, but to
participate in the change we wish to see. In confronting issues of racial justice
and equity, we aspire to bring forward the very best thinking of our colleagues,
our policy and action practitioners. We are eager to contribute meaningfully to
this national dialogue, with courage, ambition, humility, and hope.
About the Swords into Plowshares Project:
“Swords Into Plowshares” is a unique initiative conceived with the goal of transforming
not only Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue into a new commissioned work of public
art, but also transforming the conversation around democratic approaches to cultural
landscapes. It is spearheaded by the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
(JSAAHC) and supported by a number of community organizations.
