How my journey began
Early in life I developed a love for history. An avid reader and voracious filmgoer at an early age, I always wondered about life in the 19th Century. How did people save food without refrigerators? How did enslaved people in the South make the long journey along the Underground Railroad to Philadelphia and points north? How did marriages between fur traders and Native American women not only help traders expand commercial enterprise in land long populated by Native people such as the Dakota, but also play a role in negotiating exploitative treaties as U.S. expansion pushed into the Western frontier in the early 1800s?
I went every Friday to the movies with my father where we saw such films as Roman Polanski’s 2005 version of Oliver Twist, the first Planet of the Apes film starring Charlton Heston, and Shrek. I watched every episode of The Twilight Zone on DVD, and I was hooked on 1960s culture—and classic horror movies. Did I mention how much I loved the German Expressionist sets of Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?
My name is Acoma Gaither and I’m a public historian located in the Denver area. You’ll usually find me listening to podcasts, curiously prowling in a museum, or planning a new exhibition.
Access my CV here.
Education
M.A. in Heritage Studies and Public History, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
B.S. in Youth Development and Research, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Professional Experience
Curator of Black History, History Colorado, Denver, CO
Public Program Associate, Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Host/Narrator for Jim Crow of the North, Twin Cities PBS, Saint Paul, MN
Public Program Manager, Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Research Fellow, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington D.C.
Fellow, Midwest Art Conservation Center, Minneapolis, MN
Graduate Teaching Assistant/Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Historical Interpreter, Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Experience Development Specialist Intern, Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Fellow, Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Museum Experience Assistant, Minnesota Children’s Museum, Saint Paul, MN
Admissions Coordinator-Student Territorial Manager, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, MN
Youth Coordinator, Pillsbury United Communities, Minnesota, MN
Volunteer Experience
Youth Worker, Free Arts Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Fundraising and Research Assistant, The African American Interpretive Center, Minneapolis, MN
Honors and Awards
2024 Emmy Award, Host, Jim Crow of the North Stories
National Council of Public History, Student Award, History for the Future: How Can Histories of Mutual Aid Help Us Build Radical Futures?
Heritage Studies and Public History Fellowship
History Museum Fellowship, Minnesota Historical Society
Global Youth Service Day Award, Pillsbury House + Theater
“Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off. But if you don't have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.”
— Amelia Earhart
Image: "Runway of Love Patrick Kelly Philadelphia Museum of Art ( 21)" by rverc is licensed under CC BY 2.0