Sharing Stories, Shaping Futures
In late March, Wellspring’s Executive Director Melissa Dimond traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak at a seminar for students enrolled in Georgetown University’s Master of Arts in Engaged & Public Humanities. Melissa was joined by Roopika Risam, Associate Professor of Digital Humanities and Social Engagement at Dartmouth, for a conversation titled “Finding the Freeman Family: Community-Driven Public Humanities.”
Honoring the Freeman Family
The seminar brought together faculty and students to explore how storytelling and historical research can strengthen community understanding. More specifically, the talk highlighted Wellspring’s collaboration with researchers exploring public memory, race, and place—centering on the story of the Freeman family, a prominent Black family who once occupied the original homestead in West Gloucester where Wellspring’s headquarters are today.
Roopika has been a longtime partner in this work, having previously collaborated with Wellspring and local historians to research and share the Freemans’ story.
Looking Ahead
Melissa and Roopika offered reflections on how this project began, the importance of engaging local stakeholders, and the role of trust in telling stories with care. Students asked thoughtful questions about public memory, and the responsibility organizations carry when uplifting community history.
Looking ahead, Wellspring plans to build on this work in ways that invite more Gloucester residents into the story.
Lasting Impact
Wellspring is deeply grateful to Georgetown University and it’s students and staff for hosting such a meaningful conversation. Collaborations like this one remind us that community history doesn’t live in the past—it lives in the voices, homes, and hearts of people shaping the present.
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