Greetings,
My name is Ja-Zette Marshburn, and I am very excited to be working as the Walter Hill Fellow in Archives at the Banneker-Douglass Museum in conjunction with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. I am a lifelong Marylander, hailing from the historic Prince George's County. Recently, I transplanted to Montgomery County-- another area known for its historic political and military connections. Currently, I am pursuing my Master's in Archival Science and Information Management at the University of Maryland College Park. I am entering my second year of study.
I have had lifelong love of history coupled with the serendipitous training in the archival profession since I was a young child. I can remember perusing my grandmother collection of Ebony and Jet magazines that went back to the 1940s and being so enamored by them; I took great care to read and preserve them. It was also during this time that my love and zest for history began particularly with a deep interest in African American history and culture. I was an accomplished student and was awarded several scholarships finally bringing me to pursue my collegiate studies at the renowned Hampton University, a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia. Unfortunately, after a number of misfortunes, I could not finish my studies at Hampton, but with tragedy comes triumph. I graduated with honors from University of Maryland University College (UMUC) with a major in History with an emphasis on African American studies.
Once I completed my undergraduate studies, I knew I wanted to continue my education at UMUC's sister school, University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) because of its affiliation with world-renowned information institutions, most specifically the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and its connection to Dr. Walter Hill.
Dr. Walter Hill was an author, teacher and historical consultant but most specifically, he was a senior archivist and African American subject area specialist at NARA. He was also a former member of the MCAAHC and I am invested in being able to continue Dr. Hill's and the MCHAAC vision to illuminate the African American experience in Maryland with the use of archival records. I am honored and excited to be working here in a fellowship with named after one of my heroes in the archival profession. I am delighted to be working with the staff at the Banneker-Douglass Museum in a pursuit to process the archival records of the MCAAHC with a goal to elucidate individuals on the commission's history and purpose that will educate and enlighten generations to come.
