Digging Up the Past | Joseph McGill | TEDxRapidCity

A descendant of slaves, Joseph McGill is on a mission to sleep in every former slave dwelling in the U.S. (he’s slept in over 100 so far) to prevent to buildings and that critical part of our history from being destroyed. Mr. Joseph McGill, Jr. is a history consultant for Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, SC and the founder of The Slave Dwelling Project, Inc. Sleeping in extant slave dwellings, this project has brought much needed attention to these often neglected structures that are vitally important to the American built environment. Prior to his current position, Mr. McGill was a field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation working to revitalize the Sweet Auburn commercial district in Atlanta, GA and to develop a management plan for Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. Mr. McGill also served as the Executive Director of the African American Museum in Cedar Rapids, IA, and is the former Director of History and Culture at Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC. Mr. McGill is the founder of Company "I" 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment in Charleston, South Carolina. He is also a member of the South Carolina Humanities Council Speakers Bureau and appears in the book Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx