Strategic Action Plan
Revised Mission Statement
The Tannehill Iron and Steel Museum is committed to preserving and representing the complex iron and steel industrial and cultural history of Alabama. We strive to curate an inclusive, educational, respectful, and welcoming environment that honors the history of this state. Through our collections, we hope to foster knowledge of Alabama’s iron and steel industries, amplify the stories of enslaved people, promote a sense of belonging, and ensure all people can see themselves reflected in the history of Alabama.
A creek at Tannehill State Park
Revised Programming
Targeted collections development would include projects such as, initiating steps to identify, preserve, and share materials related to the experiences of enslaved people at the Tannehill Iron and Steel Museum. These items will be documented and preserved using the metadata principles as suggested by the Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia, to promote inclusivity and information access (Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia, n.d.). Public events rooted in critical fabulations will be organized to humanize and imagine the lives of those who are unnamed, allowing community members to foster a deeper connection with their history (Hartman, 2008). Collaborations with local historical societies, churches, and universities will be essential in supporting these efforts.
An advisory panel made up of Black historians, archivists, and others will ensure the museum combats the “archival amnesty” which often sees Black history misrepresented (Sutherland, 2017). Panel members will be compensated for their time and expertise to avoid placing undue burdens on those whose voices are vital to this work.
A review of the current exhibits will be conducted to acknowledge the labor, lives, and contributions of Black Americans to the iron and steel industry of Alabama.
Inclusive programming will also be implemented, with a focus on ensuring history is accurately and respectfully represented.
Inclusive programming will also be implemented, with a focus on ensuring history is accurately and respectfully represented.
A permanent exhibit centered on Black labor, history, and resistance during and after enslavement will highlight the important history rooted in McCalla and Alabama. The museum will also reassess the current Civil War reenactment. While this event generates considerable income and park attendance, its impact on community well-being should take precedence over monetary value.
Through continued collaborations with Black historians, archivists, and historians, the reenactment could be reimagined to include live historical interpreters portraying the lives of enslaved and free Black individuals from the era. Additionally, hosting genealogy workshops with Black historians and genealogists would assist local Black communities in reconstructing and reclaiming their histories.
The river, the arts and crafts cabin, and an event pavilion at Tannehill State Park.
Timeline
Timeline for revisions: A year to two years.
Month 1-3: Finalize mission statement, establish connections with local communities, begin consultations with historians, and begin the process to form an advisory panel.
Month 4-6: Conduct an audit of existing collections, evaluate the structure and impact of the Civil War reenactment, and finalize members of the advisory panel.
Month 7-9: Launch collaborations with community through critical fabulation events and genealogy workshops
Month 10-12: Debut first exhibit on the history of enslaved at Tannehill, and an exhibit on Black labor in the Iron and Steel industry.
Month 13-18: Publish report on our goals, successes, challenges, and results. Host a community remembrance event to honor the lives and contributions of African Americans connected to this site, the Iron and Steel industry, and Alabama.
A hiking path at Tannehill State Park.
Detailed Objectives and Steps
Objective: Improve representation of Black American history
Actions: Review current collections, improve accessibility, representation, and displays. Host critical fabulation events. Review and update current metadata schema and controlled vocabulary.
Responsible Party: Curator, archivist
Success Indicators: 20+ resources added, one permanent exhibits
—————————————————————————————————————————————————Objective: Foster inclusive engagement
Actions: Host workshops, public lectures, and community events
Responsible Party: Outreach coordinator, museum staff
Success Indicators: Host successful workshops, form community partnerships
—————————————————————————————————————————————————Objective: Update programming and activities to reflect diverse narratives
Actions: Review Civil War programming, introduce critical fabulation exhibits
Responsible Party: Museum staff, advisory panel, archivist
Success Indicators: Reassessment of Civil War reenactment, promotion of new events and exhibits
—————————————————————————————————————————————————Objective: Create welcoming space for all visitors
Actions: Train staff in new practices, update signage, websites, and publicly facing information.
Responsible Party: Museum director, Human resources, archivist, advisory panel.
Success Indicators: All staff trained, improved visitor feedback via feedback surveys
The Wheelhouse at Tannehill State Park.
Projections
The Tannehill Iron and Steel Museum has the potential to become a leading model in Alabama for ethical and inclusive historical representations. If the museum successfully implements the plans outlined above, it can expect increased community engagement, stronger professional partnerships, greater public trust, a more balanced and respectful portrayal of history, and the empowerment of the descendants of enslaved people.
Further recommendations for the museum are to center the voices of marginalized communities and work to accurately represent their histories. This can be completed through the advisory board and by actively seeking and incorporating feedback for exhibits. Uplifting these voices will provide the museum with meaningful new direction. The museum can also embrace radical empathy, as discussed in the paper “From Human Rights to Feminist Ethics: Radical Empathy in the Archives,” which promotes the transformative practice of archives being active, living, historical institutions (Caswell, M., & Cifor, M., 2016). By prioritizing how we respond to marginalized voices, we can challenge the embedded power structures and build a museum for all (Caswell, M., & Cifor, M., 2016). The museum would also benefit from reimagining its current programming and exhibits to no longer center the Civil War soldiers. Including portrayals of Black history and life will promote a more holistic view of history and create a more welcoming space.
These recommendations, and the others above, reflect a key thing I have learned this semester: history is never neutral, and we have the power and responsibility to shape it. Libraries, museums, and archives, such as the Tannehill Iron and Steel Museum, must choose whether to maintain harmful silences or take bold, intentional steps toward justice. We have the tools to change, it simply requires the will to act.
A bridge at Tannehill State Park.
References
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia. (n.d.). Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia. Retrieved [1/31/2025], from https://archivesforblacklives.wordpress.com/
Caswell, M., & Cifor, M. (2016). From human rights to feminist ethics: Radical empathy in the archives. Archivaria, 81, 23–43.
Hartman, S. (2008). Venus in two acts. Small Axe, 26, 1–14. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/research/centres/blackstudies/venus_in_two_acts.pdf
Sutherland, Tonia. (2017). Archival amnesty: In search of Black American transitional and restorative justice. Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies, 1(1), 20170605. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319341518_Archival_Amnesty_In_Search_of_Black_American_Transitional_and_Restorative_Justice