Incidents of A Slavery and Plantation Interpreter with Ja'el Gordon

Research at the National Archives and Beyond

Being an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history? There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by choice and, her purpose is to help others process, not suppress. Ja'el Gordon, Louisiana-born Genealogist and Historian is a graduate of Southern University (Baton Rouge) with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She worked for the Division for Student Affairs and created a plethora of successful, engaging events and programs for the student body and community. In 2015, she received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Southern University - New Orleans and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Jackson State University’s Higher Education program. Ms. Gordon has owned her genealogy business for several years where she provides family history and genetic genealogy research through educational program facilitation. She specializes in antebellum and enslaved history research in Louisiana and Mississippi. Her research provides corrective narratives of the enslaved, and descendant tracing for present and lost plantations around the State of Louisiana with a special focus on the River Road plantations. She is a Charter Member and President of Louisiana AAHGS Chapter and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,Inc and, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women.