I approach the challenges of honoring and understanding the past in the present, by supporting African American cultural heritage and community education projects. Drawing on contextual emphases in public archaeology, public history, and cultural representations in museum studies, my research seeks to understand how historic preservation projects might play a role in imagining more sustainable and healthy futures for U.S. southern communities. My current project Behind the Big House, a slave dwelling interpretation program developed by several private home owners in Holly Springs, Mississippi.