Public History PhD Candidate JoCora Moore attends the Southern Historical Association Conference in Baltimore, Maryland

In November, I had the opportunity to attend the Southern Historical Association Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, to present my research on Voting Rights in the Jim Crow South. SHA is known as one of the significant conferences regarding Southern History. My presentation at SHA discussed the Civil Rights Movement in my hometown of Plymouth, NC, and the almost “near massacre” in the community. I examined how the Black community was able to mobilize together, pushing local officials for voting rights after passing the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Although my current dissertation research differs from my conference paper, the presentation allowed me to speak more on the memory of the Civil Rights Movement. My presentation focused heavily on how the memory of the movement can be discussed even in smaller communities like Plymouth, North Carolina.

While attending the conference, I met historians and other graduate students. Conversations about public history, the future, the job market, and even the 1619 Project expanded my deep passion for history. From these encounters, I learned how to become a better public historian, hoping to advance the field and reach a new generation.

Thank you to the NC State History Department for supporting my trip to Baltimore.

You can learn more about JoCora Moore HERE.