06.28.2021 - By Ian Elsner
The deliberate exclusion of Black history and the history of slavery in the American South has been slow to reverse. But Jazz Dottin, creator and host of the Black Gems Unearthed YouTube channel says it can be just as slow in New England. Each video features Dottin somewhere in her home state of Massachusetts, often in front of a plaque or historical marker, presenting what’s missing, excluded, or downplayed.
The history discussed on Black Gems Unearthed has been left out by conventional museums, which are among the most trustworthy institutions in modern American life, according to the American Alliance of Museums. This trust may have more to do with power than truth-telling — and today, there are many different ways to build trust with an audience online. Shows like Dottin’s might point to where our new relationship with the authoritative voice is heading.
In this episode, Dottin describes how working as tour guide and creating travel itineraries influences her work today, how she came up with the idea for Black Gems Unearthed, and what the future holds.
Image: Jazz Dottin in front of Emancipation in Boston, Mass.
Topics and Notes
00:00 Intro
00:15 “Always Read The Plaque”
00:45 Jazz Dottin
01:00 Black Gems Unearthed
01:20 Hopkinton, Massachusetts
02:00 Exploring Black lives in MetroWest, MA in the 1700s - Black Gems Unearthed
02:26 Museum Archipelago 42. Freddi Williams Evans and Luther Gray Are Erecting Historic Markers on the Slave Trade in New Orleans
02:55 The Legacy of Slavery in New England
03:50 Working as a Tour Guide
05:35 The Idea for Black Gems Unearthed
08:21 Museums and Trustworthiness
09:36 Where The Name Comes From
10:10 Outro | Join Club Archipelago