Sydney Wessinger (‘18) is an exemplary embodiment of what Xavier University of Louisiana gifts to the world; She saw a need and used her talents to create an opportunity for those that followed her to thrive and experience a hands-on internship to hone their skills. Under Wessinger’s coordination, Xavier University of Louisiana collaborated with The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) to create a history internship fostering education on New Orleans’ unique and vibrant culture.

THNOC and the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA) created The Black Digital Humanities internship program. The internship engages students in extensive historical research, collections surveying, and data science as it applies to the artisans of African descent in New Orleans.

Located in the French Quarter, THNOC is a free-admission museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the stewardship of New Orleans and the Gulf South’s history and culture. THNOC helps residents and tourists understand the region's multicultural history through thought-provoking exhibitions, research, publications and educational resources. It also inspires attendees to explore professional careers in preservation, research and public history.

Xavier’s History Department has been in partnership with THNOC for a decade as part of the university’s historical methods (HIST 2415) course. The course is taught at THNOC by Xavier Kellogg Endowed Professor of History Elizabeth Manley, Ph.D.

The collaboration offers Xavier undergraduates an opportunity to actively engage in a rewarding and collegial work environment at an institution committed to following the best practices for museums and archives. Under the direction and tutorship of THNOC’s professional staff, the internships welcome applicants interested in their collaborative projects centered on Louisiana’s rich African and African American history and culture.

The ongoing internship will repeat in Fall 2023 and will solicit candidates exclusively from Xavier to expand internship opportunities for history majors and minors. Those studying History, African American and Diaspora Studies, Foreign Language, Digital Humanities and Art students are highly encouraged to apply for this great opportunity, but students from all majors are welcome.

Wessinger acts as the internship coordinator. She saw her history career elevate after an internship at the McKenna Museum of African American Art. After graduating from Xavier, she was determined to create spaces for other Xavier students to increase diversity in the history field. After years as a curator and public historian, Wessinger hopes to create opportunities for history students looking to excel in the field and satisfy their academic passions.

“The assumed scarcity of jobs in public history, museums, and libraries was unsettling, especially considering that I rarely saw people of color work in those types of spaces,” said Wessinger. “When I saw there was little opportunity, I created my own.”

Xavierites Joseph Will and Ashanty Felipe are f  interns in the Black Digital Humanities program. As a senior history major, Will was excited to participate in the internship to strengthen his historical knowledge.

“The internship has been wonderful and has given me experience for a potential career path that I never would have thought of exploring. It allows me to gain more hands-on experience regarding historic research,” said Will. “The people who work at THNOC are very interesting and knowledgeable in several topics involving the history of New Orleans and Louisiana. They are always ready to answer my questions or assist me in my tasks and work.”

Junior history major Felipe shares that she’s experienced significant growth and support from participating in the internship.

“It’s inspiring to work with an amazing team that is supportive and passionate about what they do. I’ve learned that teamwork within research is essential and that it is okay to make mistakes early on and to grow from them,” said Felipe. “The internship has enriched my XULA experience because it showed me the potential I have with my degree and the great opportunities XULA has for students.”

In Spring 2023, THNOC will be offering another HBCU-specific internship. “The Free People of Color Communities Research Project” is a collaboration with the McKenna Museums, including their African-American Art Museum and Free People of Color Museum. Both museums are Black-owned and operated in New Orleans.

For more information on Xavier’s history internship, contact Dr. Elizabeth Manley at emanley1@xula.edu