Educated at Belmont Abbey College (BA) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (MA), Lance Wheeler is from Jersey City, New Jersey, with a passion for history and exhibitions. Lance currently serves as the Director of Exhibitions at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lance previously served as the Education & PR Manager for the Margaret Walker Center & COFO Civil Rights Education Center at Jackson State University and served as the inaugural Curator of Exhibitions at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. In those roles, he used exhibitions to create dialogue around civil and human rights history to help bridge the events from the past to current issues in the 21st century.
As a public historian and community curator, Lance has worked effortlessly with civil rights families and organizations such as the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute to connect with communities and engage with youth. In addition, he worked with Black, Brown, and Indigenous farmers to deepen their understanding and analysis of their truth and legacies on the broader movement. Lance also participated as a thought leader for the National day of Racial Healing for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He discussed the essential role museums could play in the healing process for all people.
Currently, Lance serves on the council for Southeastern Museum Conference, and is the chair for emerging museum professionals for the Association of African American Museum; and is an active member of the American Association for State and Local History.