Research At The National Archives And Beyond!

Being an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history?  There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by choice and, her purpose is to help others process, not suppress. Ja'el Gordon, Louisiana-born Genealogist and Historian is a graduate of Southern University (Baton Rouge) with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She worked for the Division for Student Affairs and created a plethora of successful, engaging events and programs for the student body and community. In 2015, she received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Southern U