As the US prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a man who’s dedicated years to make sure the country gets its history correct brings his experience to Botetourt County this week as part of events celebrating Juneteenth. His way of doing that— spending the night in homes occupied or built by slaves.
Joseph McGill, Founder of The Slave Dwelling Project, grew up in South Carolina in the 1970’s, and in school, was led to believe his ancestors were happy to be enslaved, and that the enslavers were benevolent people.
“Because I was lucky enough to become a park ranger at Fort Sumpter National Monument, where the Civil War started, that required me to do research to be prepared for that job," he explained. "And it was that research that made me realize that I was shortchanged- actually lied to – as to the history of this nation.”
McGill has now spent the night in roughly 150 slave dwellings in 25 states, and the District of Columbia, over the past 16 years – for the purpose of preserving them. McGill says this serves as a reminder that slavery did not solely exist in the South. His project was not an easy sell initially, but McGill says stewards of these homes were right to ask questions.
“What’s my intent? Am I about looking for treasures? Am I seeking reparations? You know, at that time, it was none of those things," McGill explained. "It was all about bringing recognition to the fact that this place exists, you are doing the right thing by this place, we need to elevate you, and encourage others to follow your lead.”
McGill, who’s also a Civil War reenactor, says eventually, some people were asking to stay with him in slave homes.
On its website, The Slave Dwelling Project talks of not only preserving these sites, but changing the narrative of American history through the proper education of slavery, and educating ourselves about the intertwined history of Americans of African and European origins.
McGill also hosts lectures, or campfire conversations. He said that means leaning into uncomfortable topics. That includes weddings on plantations, Critical Race Theory, and preserving Confederate monuments, as long as they’re provided with proper context.
“If there’s a Confederate monument somewhere, well, I want to know how many people this person enslaved," he said. "If I search his DNA, if I search his family tree, am I going to find somebody who looks like me, chances are I will.”
McGill said a number of communities have since recognized the need to leave those slave dwellings up, even if those structures now serve other purposes, like office space, or she sheds.
“I only ask that they acknowledge the real history of those places," he explained. "And most of those these places that are out there are actually doing that. So that’s a beautiful thing. So, I think that now, less of these buildings are being torn down.”
He says there are now fewer of these sleepovers in front of him, and is focused mostly on his lectures.
But McGill is still in search of what he calls “blockbusters,” such as this fall, when his group plans to spend an evening at the International African-American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Before 1808, the same building was once used to import enslaved persons into the country. McGill also hopes to visit the Richmond area.
“Shockoe Bottom – kind of ground zero for slavery in the state of Virginia, importing people into this nation for the purpose of enslaving them. It might not be a sleepover, it might be one of those conversations.”
Other locations on his list include the Missouri based home of Frank and Jesse James, whose parents owned slaves. And one day, he hopes to spent a night in another structure built by slaves – The White House.
McGill will be part of two events at Botetourt County’s Juneteenth Freedom Jubilee- a Friday conversation, and a presentation Saturday on historic Greenfield. The events are free, but registration is limited.
