Article Learning 2 min read

Female Re-Enactors of Distinction Honor a Hidden Past Through Storytelling

One organization gives voice to African-American women of the Civil War era. Also: How to create a culture of active employee engagement.

Raegan Johnson

April 17, 2017

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Today is Emancipation Day in Washington, DC, a city holiday marking the abolition of slavery in the District. And last week, as part of their Emancipation Day commemoration, members of the Female Re-Enactors of Distinction  (opens in a new tab) (FREED) donned period-era dress and delivered powerful monologues about the “nameless, faceless” women of the Civil War to an audience of government employees.

FREED, an auxiliary organization of the African American Civil War Museum, is doing the vital work of telling the stories of Civil War-era black women, a group the history books often overlook. The volunteer re-enactors depict a mix of real-life historical figures such as Hallie Quinn Brown (1850-1949), a college professor who toured Europe delivering talks about the black experience, as well as crafted personas.

“African-American history is pretty much lost,” Frank Smith, founding director of the African American Civil War Museum, told the Washington Post  (opens in a new tab). “For many years, the Confederacy owned the narrative … in the last 15 or so years, we’ve been trying to turn that around.”

Engaging Employees

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— Sidecar (@sidecarglobal) April 16, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Much has been said and written about “servant leadership,” the philosophy that being a leader requires a mindset and set of practices rooted in serving others. Ari Weinzweig, cofounder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and a big proponent of servant leadership, recently spoke with Association Success  (opens in a new tab)about how this approach pays off handsomely in better employee engagement.

Weinzweig shares five lessons on engagement, including that leaders should treat employees as they do customers. He also recommends that employees learn all aspects of the business they work in. This requires a lot of time and effort, but Weinzweig contends that the more employees know about the context and larger vision of the organization, the more they are empowered to contribute.