Getting Word
African American history department at Monticello, recording & preserving the family histories of the 600+ people enslaved by Jefferson throughout his lifetime.
Instagram
Instagram
Facebook
Facebook
Email
Email
Register for the 2026 Black Family History Symposium
Register for the 2026 Black Family History Symposium
Join us for the 2026 Black Family History Symposium on February 7, 2026.
Q&A: Filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson Joins Getting Word as Digital and Oral Historian - Getting Word
Q&A: Filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson Joins Getting Word as Digital and Oral Historian - Getting Word
Lorenzo Dickerson has released several documentary films through his own production company, Maupintown Media, before joining Getting Word. Instead of exploring unfamiliar territory, filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson often turns the camera back on his world, sharing stories of his own family history and beloved Albemarle County with the larger world. Through his production company, Maupintown Media, Dickerson revisits old stories fed to him by his elders, filling in the gaps of... Read more »
Getting Word Identifies Six More Members of Monticello's Enslaved Community - Getting Word
Getting Word Identifies Six More Members of Monticello's Enslaved Community - Getting Word
In August, the Getting Word African American History Department commemorated the discovery of six additional people enslaved by Thomas Jefferson with a private dedication ceremony at Monticello’s Contemplative Site. The individuals unearthed through the department’s ongoing research are: Colleagues from Getting Word, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, and the historic site’s Education and... Read more »
Visit Getting Word's Website
Visit Getting Word's Website
Getting Word is the African American history department at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home. Founded in 1993, Getting Word records and preserves the family histories of the over 610 people enslaved by Jefferson throughout his lifetime.
Slavery at Monticello: Resource Collection
Slavery at Monticello: Resource Collection
Thomas Jefferson enslaved over six hundred people throughout his life. Of those, four hundred men, women, and children lived in bondage at Monticello.
Monticello Enslaved Community Database
Monticello Enslaved Community Database
View on mobile
