MEET SHAUN SPENCER-HESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CURATOR OF THE ANNE SPENCER HOUSE & GARDEN MUSEUM
Shaun is the executive director and curator of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum. She is the granddaughter of Anne Spencer, Harlem Renaissance poet and Civil Rights activist, and the driving force behind the historical site.
FAVORITE LOCAL HISTORY EXPERIENCE TO SHARE WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS?
Shaun Spencer
I cannot ask for a better experience than when I’m piddling around the Museum & Garden and visitors stop by. We engage in conversation that may lead to an impromptu tour of Edankraal or Pierce St. During our conversation or tour I humbly reveal my kinship and pride of the relationships with those before us who created a “Black Mecca of Greatness” in Lynchburg, from the post-reconstruction era through the civil rights movement.
WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT LYH?
Outside of the museum
I strongly believe that people need to know the full history of the City. Like most, if not all, American cities, much of it was built by slave labor. We need to tell more stories about how their labor led to today’s urban revitalization.
FAVORITE HISTORY VISIT THAT IS WALKABLE?
Anne Spencer Garden
I love the Old City Cemetery and, of course, the Anne Spencer Garden. Both are open to the public from dawn to dusk year-round, whether you’re interested in history or flora or just want a quiet moment to reflect.
For more African American Historic attractions, visit our recent blog post.