HERMITAGE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There’s a special service being planned inside the doors of the Hermitage Church to honor those who likely wouldn’t have been able to worship in these pews.
“When you hear 150 people, you don’t necessarily humanize the numbers,” said Josi Lieb.
Over the last two years, Lieb has had the honor of learning about those who were once enslaved by former president Andrew Jackson at The Hermitage.
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“They are one of the reasons that I do what I do to keep learning about them and sharing their stories with people,” she said. “So it’s really one of the most impactful things that I’ve ever really gotten to do.”
Before Lieb became the public program coordinator at The Hermitage, she admits she was leery about delving more into the life of Andrew Jackson.
“He’s either really, really loved or really, really hated,” she said. “That’s a really scary place for a scholar in college try to learn about.”
However, as she began working there, she gained a new perspective, especially from those who were enslaved.