Let Us (Re)Introduce Ourselves
The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday between 9am and 5pm for self-guided tours! Regular guided tours will restart on February 1, 2022.
A lot has changed in the world and at the Museum since our last post in October of 2020. As we continue to grapple with the pandemic, we at the site have also been navigating a complete staff transition. This post is intended to serve as a re-introduction; an opportunity to share with you all a bit about our new staff and an invitation for you to share with us what you would like to see at the site.
In November of 2020 we welcomed a new Maintenance/Construction Tech to the site, Jason Moffitt. For the past year Jason has been the groundskeeper extraordinaire for the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum! He came to the site from the City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation and has a background in Agricultural Administration with a master’s degree from NCA&T. Jason is a proud Aggie who is excited about revitalizing the connection between his alma mater and the site of the former Palmer Memorial Institute. Jason’s vision for the future of the site includes a community farm, returning the campus to the early principles of Palmer.
In July of 2021 our new Assistant Site Manager, Liz Torres Melendez, joined the team. Liz is a graduate of the UNC Greensboro Museum Studies and Public History program who previously worked at Guilford College. Liz is excited to oversee the update of the Museum’s permanent exhibit along with the wayside tour around the grounds. For Liz, the site’s future includes a reimagining of the grounds as a public park with performance spaces and public art installations as a way to honor Dr. Brown’s commitment to cultural education and the arts.
In November of 2021 we welcomed our new Education Coordinator, Kelly Scott. Kelly graduated from NC State University’s Public History program in 2020 and previously worked as a Museum Educator at Mordecai Historic Park and a Collections Specialist with the City of Raleigh’s Historic Resources and Museums Program. Kelly looks forward to gleaning inspiration from Palmer’s roots as an educational institution and expanding the Museum’s educational offerings and outreach.
Also in November of 2021, Julisa Canty started as our Historic Interpreter. Julisa started her educational journey in 2010 at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. After 5 years, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Following graduation, she embarked on a new profession but did not fulfill the historical passion that burned inside. Soon after, she continued her education at North Carolina Central University. Within in two years, she received a bachelor’s degree in History and from there she pursued her master’s degree in History at North Carolina Central University. Before joining us, Julisa was a Museum Educators at the City of Raleigh Museum. Today, she hopes to add to the already rich and thriving history at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum. Julisa is also a proud new mom to baby girl Jaycee and enjoys spending her free time being a mom and a Cowboys fan!
In the first quarter of the year, we’re hoping to add a Site Manager and another Maintenance/Construction Tech to the crew. With a 40-acre site and 14 buildings to maintain our maintenance staff will have their work cut out for them, but we’re hopeful to get a dedicated group of volunteers willing to help whenever big projects arise! Our Site Manager will have a young and passionate staff to lead and a fantastic opportunity to create something innovative and unique in our state.
The future of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is bright. We hope to continue to serve our community and become more of a resource for the schools, non-profits, and residents around us. We will continue to ground our work in the history of the Palmer Memorial Institute and the life of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Our goal for the year is to post monthly site updates and stories of the history of the site, so stay tuned for more!
We also want to engage with people interested in the site through these posts and our social media pages, so please comment, share, or DM us your thoughts. Are there programs (virtual or in-person) that you would like to see? Any questions that you would like us to answer in future posts? The history of Palmer spans most of the twentieth century, from 1902–1971, which decade at Palmer are you most interested in? Let us know!
