Author: Chelsea Kiefer
The James City Historical Society received a grant from America 250 NC to fund their “Created Equal: From Bondage to Freedom in James City” project. This work, consisting of a digital archive, traveling exhibit, and online exhibit, aims to show the essential role of African Americans in the American Revolution.
“The project team included a community coordinator on the JCHS board, Mrs. Carmen Route, among whose ancestors is a U.S. Colored Troops soldier from James City.”
As the oldest continuous community in North Carolina that was originally founded by formerly enslaved people, James City Historical Society felt strongly about including community voices and narratives directly into the “Created Equal” experience. To do so, they worked closely with community members who contributed primary sources for the digital archive such as photos, documents, and recorded stories. The team also held regular meetings, where public stakeholders could not only scan their materials into the archive, but also review how the content was interpreted and the online exhibit as it was created. This created trust, solidary, and a lasting bond between the historians and the community they represent.
“The James City community has been directly involved in the creation of these exhibits… The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, and the exhibits revealed some aspects of the community’s history that were previously unknown.”
While Project Scholar, Dr. Joshua Strayhorn, was already trained in digital humanities, this endeavor served as both a learning experience and an opportunity for him to expand his growing skill set. Having previously created StoryMaps, this was his first time developing an Omeka Digital Archive independently. Through his passion for community history, problem solving, and computer programming knowledge, the final project is engaging, accessible, and demonstrates how technology can bring historical narratives directly to the homes of those in North Carolina and beyond. A native of the New Bern area, Dr. Strayhorn combined his local roots and creative expertise to connect deeply with both the material and the people involved in “Created Equal.”
The digital exhibit is fully launched online, and the team has plans for an update later this year, including coordinating lesson plans for educators to incorporate the digital material directly into their curriculum. In preparation for including more teacher-centric resources to the website, The James City Historical Society held a teacher workshop on August 6, 2025, and encouraged the excited teachers to use the content with their students this school year.
The traveling exhibit, which spans a longer timeline of North Carolina history than the digital component, has already been out at schools, civic groups, and local events. Over 1500 visitors have engaged with the exhibit through its various stops and locations.
“We hope it can be a tool for people in the community to research and learn more about their own family history and geography. We hope that students can learn from this history and use the primary sources to critically think about their community and the legacy of resilience of their ancestors.”
Regardless if the public engages with the digital exhibit, archive, traveling exhibit, or lesson plans, the goal of this project is to be a tool for students, educators, and community members to engage with their shared history, think about the past, and empower a future that continuously seeks justice for all.
To learn more about this important work, please visit The James City Historical Society’s Website.
Information provided by:
Digital Exhibit and Community Outreach - Dr. Joshua Strayhorn
Traveling Exhibit - Linda Monk, J.D., Project Director
James City Community Role/Response - Carmen Route
Educator’s Workshop - Rosanne Wilson
General Project - William Hollowell, JCHS Chairman
All photos provided by James City Historical Society