Black History & Modern Archives

How Black archives are highlighting overlooked parts of history and culture is a CNN news story from February 2022 written by Harmeet Kaur. It looks at how “both amateurs and professionals have made Black history – and the process of preserving it – more accessible” (Kaur, 2022). Since the Black Lives Matter protests from the Summer 2020, many amateurs have created social media accounts that highlight Black history. Instead of posting images that depict pain and trauma, these accounts feature the everyday lives of African Americans allowing people to catch a “glimpse into Black life over the last century” (Kaur, 2022). Black history often gets forgotten and left behind. These creators can help create a positive change by showcasing these once forgotten images. They are curating photos that have the potential to been seen and re-shared by millions.

These efforts go beyond photography with the Black Film Archive created by Maya Cade. Her main purpose was to “specifically expand Black people’s knowledge of Black cinema – that anyone else might find that information interesting was just the cherry on top” (Kaur, 2022). Spreading knowledge among one’s own community is a great starting point when defining your target followers and users. If you can reach an even greater audience, that is the ultimate goal since archives are created to be used. These amateur creators are becoming working professionals themselves. It would be great for archivists to work alongside these creators to foster their knowledge and collaborate with them for the future. With born-digital records and social media, this partnership could be invaluable to preservation.

This article also mentions that “according to data from the Society of American Archivists, the most recent of which was published in 2006, about 3% of professional archivists in the US identify as Black” (Kaur, 2022). These numbers are extremely disproportionate and archivists themselves must contribute to make a change. One way archivists can do this is by curating and exhibiting collections that features Black history. The website of the Library of Congress features artwork from the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence located at the White House between June 2020 and January 2021. The artwork can now be forever viewed on this governmental agency website. This was also a community project since “members of the public worked together to maintain, protect, and then archive the thousands of signs and artworks” (Wikipedia Foundation).

I recently visited the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures which has a new exhibit entitled Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971. This exhibit “offers the public a chance to learn more about how Black performers and filmmakers have helped define cinema in the United States” (Academy Museum of Motion Pictures). This is one of the largest Black Cinema exhibits ever created and is another great example of how archivists can create collections that educate the broad public. In this case, a variety of visitors would include film professionals & enthusiasts, and tourists visiting Los Angeles. It was a moving exhibit to see with a variety of historic film clips, props, and photographs which showcase the overlooked Black community of the motion picture industry.

Amateurs use social media to preserve and share Black history while professional archivists curate physical exhibitions as well as publicly share their collections online. If they can work together to educate their followers, users, and communities, Black history can become more inclusive.

 References

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. (n.d.). Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971. Academy Museum. https://www.academymuseum.org/en/press-release/academy-museum-announces-details-of-regeneration-black-cinema

Black Film Archive. (n.d.). https://blackfilmarchive.com/  

Kaur, H. (2022, February 19). How black archives are highlighting overlooked parts of history and culture. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/us/black-archivists-history-culture-cec

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Black lives matter memorial fence. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=black%2Blives%2Bmatter%2Bmemorial%2Bfence&st=gallery

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, August 22). Black lives matter memorial fence. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter_Memorial_Fence

Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971 Exhibit at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Costume Worn by Lena Horne in “Stormy Weather” (1943) at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Sidney Poitier Oscar at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Louis Armstrong’s Engraved Selmer B-Flat Trumpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures