Aurelia Crawford, Research Assistant for the Getting Word African American Oral History Project at Monticello, started as a guide at Monticello more than 15 years ago. She’s shared the history of the site with thousands of people from all over the world. Aurelia joined the Getting Word Project seven years ago as a researcher, and has helped many people trace their family roots and share their histories since.

Brandon Dillard, Manager of Historic Interpretation, joined Monticello’s staff in 2010. He works with the staff on interpreting difficult knowledge by combining skills from a career in hospitality with his academic focus on race, memory and power. Brandon assists the Getting Word Project in an administrative capacity.

Karen McIlvoy has been the Archaeology Laboratory Analyst at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest for over five years. She is currently working on her PhD through the University of Florida.

Dr. Eric Proebsting is the Director of Archaeology and Landscapes at Poplar Forest. For more than a decade, he has worked as an archaeologist exploring the hidden lives and landscapes of Jefferson’s retreat home and plantation to help share the whole story of this National Historic Landmark.

A descendant of formerly enslaved ancestors, enslavers and free people of color, Renate Yarborough Sanders has been engaged in genealogical research for over 23 years. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the North Carolina Genealogical Society, the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society and the Tyrrell County (North Carolina) Genealogical and Historical Society. She authors two blogs, “Into the LIGHT” and “Genea-Related,” and is a panelist on BlackProGen LIVE, an online program about researching ancestors of color. Renate also co-hosted her own YouTube series this summer which focused on North Carolina genealogy research.