Taylor-Simone Johnson



Intern,  B&O Railroad Museum

Major:  African American Studies and Criminology & Criminal Justice

Class Year: 2024

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What was a typical week like in your internship position?

My position at the B&O Railroad Museum was to work as a student intern and assist the chief curator with the development of a new exhibit that would be highlighting the journeys of enslaved African Americans who utilized the B&O Railroad to gain their freedom. I worked fifteen hours a week, seven of them were in person while the other eight were remotely.

When I was in person, I would work on different components of the exhibit weekly. For example, one of the very first projects I worked on was mapping out what the opening day of the exhibit would look like.

Some of the ideas I suggested were utilized; I recommended we have an opening weekend of sorts as opposed to an opening day in case of COVID concerns and that was something that they did. In addition, another project I worked on was detailing the duality of railroad terminology between enslaved peoples and actual railroad workers. Enslaved African Americans would employ railroad terminology to signal to one another when they were planning to escape. I created a list of railroad lingo that were used and defined what they meant to those enslaved versus railroad workers.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

I really enjoyed working at the B&O Railroad Museum for a multitude of reasons.

For one, I would say that the museum is much smaller than the average one but in many ways this was very beneficial. It allowed my team and I to build and establish a positive professional relationship with one another. This aided in the completion of many smaller projects under the umbrella of the exhibition and it also made the completion of the exhibition much faster. Because of this, I was able to create long-lasting connections with my colleagues by networking with them on LinkedIn and creating the opportunity to keep in contact with one another.

In addition, working on this project meant a lot to me because Baltimore is my hometown. An exhibit such as the likes of this one means so much for the city of Baltimore by spotlighting its rich history and establishing why the city of Baltimore is like no other.

 

 

How has your coursework helped you in your internship?

Majoring in African American Studies gives me a well rounded societal perspective about the Black experience in America and how almost everything is impacted by it. I feel if I had majored in anything else, I would not view the world in the ways that I do. Questioning the intentions behind policies, public leaders, and not taking things at face value. This way of critical thinking is imperative in today's society. It also inspires me to do the work that I wish to see in the world and this internship truly allowed me the space to do so.

 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

 I initially received notice of this internship by my academic advisor Marshal Washington. I was intrigued about the project because of its mission and the idea of working in Baltimore alleviated my occasional homesickness. When I applied to be an intern for the fall semester, the organization decided to hire another intern due to lack of funding. However, they were so impressed with my resume, academic success, and interview that they reached back out to me to be an intern for the Spring and I was so excited. I immediately accepted and the rest is history!

 

 

Advice for students:

My best advice is to utilize the resources that you have in the best way you can. Do not overlook emails, even if there is an abundance of them in your inbox. The University of Maryland is one of the largest research institutions in the country and the opportunities are limitless! Never be afraid to ask for help or ask a professor for research opportunities. Do not be afraid of the answer no because that simply means that that specific opportunity was not meant for you.

 

 

Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?

The exhibit is now open if anyone is interested in attending. Check it out: https://www.borail.org/explore-learn/exhibitions/undergroundrr/