When: Thursday, July 2, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Central Time
Where: Online – Register Now
Cost: Free and open to the public
About the Discussion
How do we remember a man who was both a “liberator” and an enslaver?
George Washington’s ties to slavery have vexed Americans for nearly 250 years. He enslaved more people than any other Founding Father. Yet, he was the only one to emancipate them in his will. This contradiction has shaped our national identity and continues to fuel heated debates today.
Join Whitney Plantation for a live virtual book club featuring Historian John Garrison Marks, author of Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory and Dr. Ashley Rogers, executive director of Whitney Plantation.
Buy your copy of Thy Will Be Done at the Whitney Plantation Store online or in person.
About the Speakers
John Garrison Marks, historian and author of Thy Will Be Done
John Garrison Marks is a historian and writer exploring the United States’ histories of race, slavery, and public memory. His latest book, Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory, explores how generations of Americans have made sense of slavery’s place in George Washington’s legacy. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, TIME, Smithsonian Magazine, and elsewhere. John is also a senior staff member at the American Association for State and Local History, where he leads research and leadership development initiatives. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Rice University. He is a New Jersey native currently living outside Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ashley Rogers, executive director, Whitney Plantation
Ashley Rogers is the executive director of the Whitney Plantation. Ashley has led the museum’s interpretation and operations since its opening in 2014, and in 2019 guided the institution through a transition from a founder-owned C-Corp to 501(c)(3). Ashley has been instrumental in long-range planning, writing the site’s first strategic plan and building its first board of directors. She has over ten years of experience in historic sites, and she has consulted with numerous organizations about issues of race, slavery interpretation, and equitable museum practice. She served on the advisory board for and co-authored the MASS Action toolkit, the Inclusive Historian’s Handbook, and James Madison’s Montpelier’s rubric for engaging descendant communities. She holds an MA in History from Colorado State University, and has earned her PhD from the department of history at Louisiana State University. She serves on the board of directors of the Southern Mutual Help Association, a New Iberia-based organization dedicated to fostering healthy and economically vibrant rural communities.
