The Importance of Research

     I remember checking D2L on the morning of February 16. Bad storms were finishing up, and I could see the rain against the glass of my bedroom window. Our class was supposed to be meeting at the Marietta Museum of History and I was just making sure that we were still meeting- and we were. I packed up my laptop bag, walked outside with my umbrella, and placed my laptop into the trunk of my car, on the way to Marietta Square. I circled the square, looking for the entrance to the museum and finding a parking spot nearby. I then stepped out of the car, a puddle on the concrete, feeling the water under my shoes and then I walked into the museum. I went into the museum and heard Amy, the museum curator, ask me “Are you here for the KSU project?” which I responded yes, and she told me where the group was meeting. I took a seat, with my mask on, feeling the fabric against my face, as Amy started telling us about the project. 

She told us how she really appreciated the work we were doing and that it would eventually go into the archives at the museum. She explained that the third floor of the museum was full of archives with information about Cobb County history but there was no research done on Latinx communities yet, that it was our job to make that happen. Amy then told us we would go upstairs to see the exhibits they already have. Amy pushed the elevator button and groups of 4 went up to the exhibit, one at a time, until the whole class had made it to the exhibits. Amy gave us a tour of the museum, starting with the African American photograph exhibit. This was an incredible exhibit and Amy explained that it took a lot of work for her to put it together. She had to call members of the community and collect these photographs. It was incredible to see how she managed to gather all of this information and put it into an exhibit to share with the public. All of these stories were now told, due to her research. This was something she mentioned a lot, as we went through the museum exhibit. Seeing quilts, bullets, and other memorabilia, Amy reminded us that without time and research, these stories may have not been told.

Going to this museum helped me learn much more about the Museum of Marietta History. I had been there years before, but meeting Amy gave me a new perspective on the museum and their mission, as well as my place in the project. Amy is working on an exhibit about Latinx artists and knowing that little research had been done on local Latinx communities really gave this project more meaning to me. It shifted my mindset from “doing a school project” to actually making an important impact on the community. I knew that the work I did for this project would help the museum gain knowledge and help them build their exhibit to share more about Latinx communities with the broader Cobb County community. It made me understand that there were a lot of Latinx stories, they just had not been documented at the museum yet, and that I had the opportunity to help ensure those stories are told.




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