Enslavement in the Revolutionary Era: Emancipation and the Pursuit of Liberty

Ramin Ganeshram

Ramin Ganeshram is an award-winning journalist and historian and the Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History & Culture in Westport, Connecticut. Ganeshram’s area of study is enslaved and mixed-race people in colonial and Early Federal American history. She spent ten years researching and writing The General's Cook, about Hercules Posey, the chef enslaved by George Washington. 

In 2019, Ganeshram uncovered new evidence about the chef’s post-emancipation, solving a 218-year-old historical mystery. She continues that work today. Ganeshram was a 2022/23 Fellow at the Fred W. Smith Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. Her work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Saveur. 

She is the author of the upcoming biography on Hercules Posey, Stirring Liberty: How George Washington’s Enslaved Chef Transformed American Cuisine and Cooked His Way to Freedom (Simon & Schuster).

ZSun-nee Miller-Matema

ZSun-nee Miller-Matema is a cultural artist & activist, intercultural educator, historical actress, family historian, and author. She is also the director Of Education And Outreach at Attitudes for America/Back Story Black History Tours. 

Miller-Matema is a descendant of Caroline Branham, an enslaved maid of George Washington and former first lady Martha Washington, as well as the Custis family. She is a member of The League of Descendants of the Enslaved at Mount Vernon. 

Her body of work has centered on deepening the understanding humans have of their history here on Earth and of their personal family histories.

Gloria Henry

Gloria Henry is the site supervisor of the John Dickinson Plantation. 

Gloria’s history degree from the University of Delaware has enabled her to spend the last 35 years, researching and conducting historic demonstrations, portraying enslaved and free individuals, transcribing documents, creating exhibits, and developing interactive tours and programs. 

She serves as the vice-president of the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware and has a passion for sharing Delaware history.

Vertie Lee

Vertie Lee is the Curator of Education for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. She serves as the liaison between educators and the Division’s museums by coordinating educational programming and resources, developing and presenting teacher professional development, and public programming. 

She is a University of Delaware adjunct instructor for the Museum Studies program in Museum Education & Interpretation. Vertie was the recipient of the 2023 Small Museum Association award and was recognized for her long-term efforts to make historical information and museums more accessible to all people.

Fran O’Malley

Fran O'Malley is the Director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education at the University of Delaware (UD), where he teaches preservice educators. Prior to coming to UD, he taught middle and high school for 23 years, during which time he was selected Delaware's State and History Teacher of the Year. 

More recently, he served as national advisor for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Social Studies Collaborative and on the Social Studies Content Advisory Group for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Governing Board’s Assessment Development Committee. 

Fran writes model civics and history lessons for the State of Delaware, one of which will be featured in this presentation.

Rebecca Fay

Speakers for the event, along with their biographies. Rebecca Fay is the Director of Education & Inspiration for the Delaware Historical Society, where she works closely with the organization's archives and collections to support educators and the broader public. 

Her work includes helping teachers enrich their curriculum through primary sources, designing educator and student resources, developing educational programming and resources, teacher workshops, and public and family programs. 

Rebecca received the 2022 Middle States Council for the Social Studies Distinguished Service Award, as well as the 2024 University of Delaware Social Studies Education Award.

Christina Stetler-Rodriguez

Christina Stetler-Rodriguez is an English Instructor at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology and an adjunct professor of English at the Community College of Baltimore County. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Goucher College, pursued additional graduate coursework at Towson University, and studied American Culture and Literature through the Harvard University Summer Teacher’s Institute and Extension School. 

She was recently named Maryland's Revolutionary Era Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Center for History and Culture and The Society of the Cincinnati and Institute of the American Revolution. She was a 2025 Teacher Fellow at the George Washington Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon and serves as a Regional Ambassador for Mount Vernon 250, partnering with local museums, historical societies, school districts, and professional organizations to promote study of the American Revolution and the founding era in the Mid-Atlantic region.