For Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, archaeology and the objects that are unearthed are essential to uncovering and preserving the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans in Virginia. She will share what she has discovered in a virtual talk on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. as part of the Salem Museum’s Speaker Series. The Zoom link will be posted on the Salem Museum’s website on the day of her talk.
Dr. Deetz, a historian and archaeologist, is the Director of Programming, Education, and Visitor Engagement at Stratford Hall. The historic estate, located on the Potomac River south of Washington, DC, preserves the legacy of four generations of Robert E. Lee’s family. She is also a Visiting Scholar in the Department of African American Studies at U.C. Berkeley.
Dr. Deetz holds a BA in Africana Studies and History from The College of William & Mary and an MA and Ph.D. in African Diaspora Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at U.C. Berkeley, Randolph College, Roanoke College, University of Lynchburg, and the University of Virginia.
She partnered with National Geographic to produce the documentary film Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner (National Geographic Channel), and wrote two cover stories for National Geographic’s History magazine. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed book Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine, which was named as one of the top ten books on food in 2017 by the Smithsonian Magazine. She is currently working on The History of Sugar lecture series for The Great Courses, which will be released this summer on Audible.
- Submitted by Frances Ferguson, Salem Museum & Historical Society Executive Director