In January 2025, the Reimagining New England Histories (RNEH) project launched its K–12 curriculum guide featuring the histories and experiences of the Dawnland’s Black and Indigenous communities. The website is the result of three years of collaborative lesson plan development by educators, scholars, humanities professionals and community members. I began working as the RNEH Curriculum Coordinator in 2022, helping to standardize lesson plans, research state standards, and draft resources for educators and students. One highlight of the digital curriculum guide is that the lesson plans have been adapted for each grade band, and educators can easily download and modify lessons to fit their specific classroom needs. At the launch event, many educators expressed gratitude and excitement for having resources that will empower them to teach diverse histories with rigor and care.

My experience working with the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice (first as an undergraduate at Brown in 2020) has profoundly shaped my professional and scholarly journey. Working for the Center has allowed me to build skills in interdisciplinary research, project management, graphic design and public speaking. The public-facing scholarship spearheaded by the Center inspired me to pursue a graduate certificate in public humanities as I work toward my doctorate in African American history. Most importantly, the Simmons Center has granted me a network of mentors and interlocutors with whom I can hone my commitment to engaged scholarship and find creative ways to reckon with our past and present.