Revisiting Roundtable Reports After 50 Years

2023 marks the 50th anniversary that the Museum Education Roundtable (MER) has been publishing reflections and research from the museum education field, first as Roundtable Reports, and since 1985 as the Journal of Museum Education (JME). Though it is best known through these publications, even befo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of museum education 2023-10, Vol.48 (4), p.374-381
Main Authors: Dezember, Michelle, North, Diane M.T., Farmer, Jane M., Alexander, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
civil rights movement
gathering
Museum educators
oral history
schools
Smithsonian
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:2023 marks the 50th anniversary that the Museum Education Roundtable (MER) has been publishing reflections and research from the museum education field, first as Roundtable Reports, and since 1985 as the Journal of Museum Education (JME). Though it is best known through these publications, even before MER began writing, its members were gathering. This article presents an interview between Michelle Dezember, former MER President and 2018-2023 board member, and three of the founding members of MER: Diane North, Jane Farmer, and Mary Alexander. The discussion focuses on the founders' experiences laying the foundation for the Museum Educators' Roundtable and Roundtable Reports from 1969 to 1973. Their memories provide context revealing how the Civil Rights era shaped the sense of purpose and collective power of museum educators in Washington D.C., as well as their organizing work to create a larger community of practice through gathering, sharing practice, and publishing.
ISSN:1059-8650
2051-6169
DOI:10.1080/10598650.2023.2285905