Our Mission

We are passionate about telling distinctive stories that reflect the historical depth and cultural richness while using inclusive strategies to deliver lasting business value to our clients

About Us

At Collective Journeys, we work every day to help historical organizations create inclusive narratives and sustainable community relationships. We believe that museums and historic sites are the perfect venues for bringing together diverse people to begin the ardent process of reconciliation. When we speak of reconciliation, we are talking about the ongoing process involving forgiveness, resolve to change, and justice. Our society has had its fair share of challenges and we must acknowledge that relationships and systems are broken. By a careful and critical exploration of the past, we have the capability to create new relationships and break down the barriers that prevent the collective spirit that a civil society where all can flourish. We value the collective energy that can be gained from the difference that often separates us. Regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, geography or age, we believe that everyone comes to the table with unique gifts. It is the collection of those gifts that will ultimately convert fractured communities into restorative communities.

Richard M. Josey Jr.

Principal Consultant

Richard Josey is the Founder and Principal Consultant for Collective Journeys LLC, a consultancy for museums and historical organizations interested in becoming inclusion-centered organizations. Richard spent over 20 years building inclusive narratives at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Minnesota Historical Society. Josey began his career in 1985 as a history interpreter portraying African-Virginian experiences in the 17th and 18th centuries, including slavery. In 2001, he became a manager of interpretive programs and soon after supervised staff and developed programs that cross class, race, and gender boundaries. In 2012, Josey became the Manager of Programs at the Minnesota Historical Society. As the Manager of Programs, Josey directed the development of interpretive programs and provided administrative supervision and support for the Society’s network of 26 historic sites and museums. Richard is also an alum of the Getty Leadership Institute and the formerly titled Seminar of Historic Administration. He is also honored to serve on the faculty for the newly titled History Leadership Institute as well as the George Washington Teacher's Institute. Josey's guiding principle speaks to the overall purpose of Collective Journeys LLC - to positively impact efforts to create community transformation and development.

Email: richard.josey@collectivejourneys.org

Participants Reviews & Comments

"Richard Josey is incredible. The sessions/week would not have been the same without him, he made everyone in the room feel comfortable to express different/varying views and opinions."

"Richard was awesome, both formally and informally (I shared a few conversations with him one and one and in small groups outside of class time). "

"I expect that Richard will be someone that I not only learned from this week but whom I also look to for clarification and guidance in the future when topics arise that I am not familiar with. I appreciated his honesty, and his approach to discussing challenging subjects. "

"Richard Josey - He made me feel at home, and that my thoughts/ideas were important"

"I feel like he gave me the courage to break the stigma of teaching race and racism. I’m really looking forward to seeing how I can incorporate what he taught into programming at my site."

"Wonderful session addressing some of the barriers that many of us feel when interpreting race at our sites. It also made me realize that I want to help diversify the fields. I need to start recruiting a more diverse pool and interns from many different backgrounds,"

"Richard -you are a great listener and facilitator. I loved your story about the skull. You helped support our conversation and moved us in a positive direction."

"Richard Josey is amazing. His thoughtful presence was a highlight of the experience. He helped us have the courage to discuss a touchy subject and made us comfortable leading the discussions when we get back into the classroom."

"Richard was amazing! His ability to provide insights and new ways of thinking was uncanny, and he was always constantly interacting with the participants outside the realm of the daily workshops."

"Thought provoking, Richards is a “Keeper” in my opinion. To date, Richards is the diversity that we have seen. He was engaging and entertaining while bringing us to think deeply about the serious topic of race and racism. So glad he joined us."

"The characteristic that is most commendable in Richard is his ongoing desire to make history relevant to diverse audiences. Also, he has been very committed to outcome-based interpretive planning, and he understands the critical role evaluation can play in planning interpretive programs."

"Richard is well respected for being a thoughtful professional, one who has inspired me, and many others, as we strive not only to be better at our jobs but to be better people as well. This is not hyperbole. Richard’s passion for and eloquence in advocating for diversity and inclusion in historical narratives and in our daily lives has buoyed my own work and I honestly believe I am a better person for having known him as long as I have. "