Jessica has always valued listening to the wisdom of sage elders like her late Ruby Grandma or her friend and travel companion, Jacquelyn Williams, both shown within slider below.

As Zora Neale Hurston aptly stated, "Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." This sentiment resonates deeply with Jessica, however, in a nuanced way-especially during her historic preservation coursework and under the guidance of academic mentors and community leaders like Dr. Learotha Williams, Dr. Carroll Van West, Mr. John Baker, Dr. Tiffany Momon, Mr. Frederick Murphy, Mrs. Rachael Finch, Mrs. Jessica Reeves, Thelma Battle, and Dr. Crystal deGregory, seen below.

Under the tutelage of many, Jessica has further cultivated a profound reverence for listening to the needs and desires of the community she engages with, whether for learning, research or aiding in historic preservation or oral history projects. She has shared these stories in a couple of ways. First, she collaborated, while hosting her former YouTube streaming show, The "Social" Hour and more recently created the podcast Exploring The Back Roads: Public History with Jessica Hanson, where she aspires to continue documenting oral history during future public history field work.

Another profound truth from Hurston, "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you," reminds Jessica of the importance of respecting and valuing oral history narratives when working in community engagement. Regardless of her own initial motivations, curiosities, or inclinations, asking the community members about their needs and respecting their wishes, even if they choose not to engage at all, or decline to include something specific in oral history, is pivotal for building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships based on respect.

In her classroom, where she developed speakers to enhance her students' engagement with content, as well as in her own research, coursework, and dissertation, Jessica has learned to appreciate the value of collaboration and listening as essential qualities of an effective public history servant leader.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."--Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist

"People should regard their words as seeds. They should sow them, and then allow them to grow in silence. Our elders taught us that the earth is always talking to us, but we should keep silent in order to hear her. There are many voices besides ours. Many voices."-Ella Cara Deloria

Jessica visiting Together Sumner and learning from community members like Charles Brinkely, who attended the Cairo Rosenwald School in the 1950s, with his brother Frank. Alana Hibbler and Mary Huddleston Malone are part of the leadership/volunteers running two engaging museums Union High School Museum housed within Gallatin Shalom Zone and the Legacy Museum housed within Sumner County's oldest known African-American Church, First Baptist Church; during Reconstruction on the church's present site, the original 1865 church (formerly a log cabin) also served as a Freedmen's school during the week, where (1920-1922) Sumner County's first Black high school students were taught until their high school was built! Ms. Hibbler graciously provided an inexpensive, informative driving tour around Gallatin, Jessica highly recommends. They will be collaborating on several educational, community centered public history projects soon.