Mission

Getting Word is the African American oral history and research department at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home. Founded in 1993, by Lucia “Cinder” Stanton and Dr. Dianne Swann-Wright, Getting Word seeks to record and preserve the family histories of the over 610 people enslaved by Jefferson throughout his lifetime.

Dedicated to the careful stewardship of the histories of Monticello’s enslaved community and its descendants, the project plays a critical role in Monticello’s work to share an honest and full history of the United States, underscoring the centrality of African Americans in the founding era and beyond. A part of the International Center for Jefferson Studies, Monticello’s scholarly arm, Getting Word’s community-engaged research helps shape public programming and tours for Monticello’s half-million annual visitors, continuing to uncover, preserve, and share the stories of all those who lived and labored on the mountaintop.

Staff