How Not To Be 'That Guy' At A Historical Site

For those of you who are not caught up on the activities of the Internet Outrage Machine, Ani DiFranco has caused a fracas by organising (and then cancelling) a feminist music retreat at a former slave plantation that is know for its sanitised depiction of slavery*, and then following up with an apology which managed to completely miss the point. When you're done facepalming, there's an important lesson here for all of us.

If you write historical fiction in any capacity, you'll probably go visit some sites of interest. This means you'll be interacting not just with the present physical features, but with the layers of past events, which will have different significance to different people. While you may only be interested in one aspect, others may glean an entirely different meaning. It's also important to remember that while you may have an academic interest, the history of a particular site will be incredibly personal for others.

Because of this, it is important to do your background research before you go in, so you don't miss critical pieces of context. This seems obvious on some level, but it's so easy to overestimate what we know. All of us, by dint of human nature, have a limited perspective, and may never be able to 'get' someone else's experience on a visceral level-- but that's not to say we shouldn't try. But even if we fall short, we will hopefully have a better understanding of their lives.

The past isn't walled off in some alternative dimension. I keep harping on this point, but events from hundreds of years ago continue to have a profound effect on our daily lives. Depending on how this turned out for our ancestors, or our region, or our 'in group', we may be acutely aware of this, or blissfully ignorant. While history is full of depressing examples of humans who can't play nicely with others, the solution isn't to 'move on' by brushing it all under the rug. As painful as it is, acknowledging our past failures and their effects on society today is the only way we can repair the damage.

Finally, when you're at a historical site, this is not the time or place for the Oppression Olympics. Focus on the issues at hand, and the experiences and history of those particular people and institutions. Studying history can be uncomfortable and depressing and rage-inducing, but I like to think that those are natural reactions to seeing our fellow humans suffer, and that we can channel those reactions into making things better now (good vibes, while well-intentioned, have limited utility here). Whether that's volunteering or donating to a good cause or writing something that will change hearts and minds, or just changing the way you go about your daily business.

*They use the phrase 'willing workforce' to describe the slaves, as well as multiple paragraphs explaining how nice the owner was to them. Because owning another human being is totally cool if you pay for their healthcare, in order that they may remain 'valuable tools in the operation of his business'.