Ever find yourself at a museum wondering about who chose the artifacts and wrote the captions? We spoke with Mary Elliott, a museum specialist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Along with her colleague Nancy Bercaw, Elliott has worked years on a massive exhibit that explores the global history of slavery and the makings of America.

And in a Slate Plus extra, Mary Elliott tells us more about the family history research that began her career. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/workingplus.

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Twitter: @Jacob_Brogan

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