In a society that actively suppresses and criminalizes the teaching of narratives of those who have been historically and systematically oppressed, memory work is nothing short of liberatory.
Community archiving creates space for communities to be represented in the historical record in ways that we control and dictate, and for the audiences that we name—outside of the gaze and rules of dominant culture.
My archival practice is rooted in the recognition that:
- Our stories matter.
- We are all historical actors and creators of culture.
- We can all be engaged in the critical and beautiful work of documenting our powerful existence.
My Archival Practice
While I do have formal archival training (check my credentials here), memory work is something that folks have been doing for generations in ways far more expansive that the confines of institutional archival practice.
Following in the lineage of Black and indigenous memory workers, my archival practice is:
Multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary
We tend to think of archiving as two-dimensional—scraps of paper and photos sitting in folders on a shelf. Juicy and wild stories of love and conflict get reduced to a few paragraphs written in dusty tomes. Even obituaries, lovingly written, get tucked away on shelves. But, what happens when we are invited to take our stories and make them come alive?? Take recordings of our ancestors’ and elders’ voices and incorporate them into songs? Use images and transcribed words to make zines that we can pass from hand-to-hand, so those stories can be discovered by new audiences? Weave words and symbols of memories into quilts? Embody stories into theater and movement pieces? In my archival practice, I invite all of the disciplines in to play, in honor of our memories.
Inter-generational
Every member of our families and communities can be engaged in memory work—the littles and the “grands”. I create community archival experiences where children, elders, and “middlings” like me can learn and lead. That cross-sharing of knowledge—from the Gen Zers who can school us on any app and tech device to the elders who can teach us how things were when we had to memorize people’s phone numbers and carry coins for the phone booth—is absolutely essential to the transference of culture and memory.
Deeply participatory
Memory work is at its best when it is deeply participatory and centered in community expertise and ownership. Where communities are engaged in the listening and gathering of stories, in crowd-sourcing memories, in creating the language used to describe cultural practices and events, in hosting community gatherings to share stories and findings… When we are able to see and hear and use artifacts and stories, it brings them to life and honors their relevance. Drawing on my decades of practice as a classroom teacher, public librarian, and facilitator, I help communities create memory projects that engage and center YOU. And, I call in those with technical expertise and know-how to support in ways that may be beyond my own or the community’s knowledge.
Centered in care, relationships, and moving at the speed of trust
Relationships are the most important and sacred bond of existence on this planet. I care about you. I care about your stories. And, I move at the speed that honors and builds trust in our connection as human beings.
Let’s work together!
If what I’ve shared resonates, let’s work together! I support individuals, families, community organizations, libraries, and other cultural and academic institutions. I am also honored to be a member of the Los Angeles Black Memory Collective, and can bring an idea to that brilliant team.
Are you an individual or group that has some family or community artifacts that you’d like to preserve, or a story of a family member or community member (including yourself) that you’d like to tell? Would you like to learn how to conduct an oral history, or do some creative work with artifacts?
Are you an institution that would like to create an exhibit or some interactive programming around a community story? Do you have an idea that you’d like some partnership around?
Let’s vision and build an archival project together.
(NOTE: This button will take you to your e-mail app, so you can send me an e-mail. Once we have an e-mail or phone convo, I’ll send you a link to schedule some time for a longer phone or Zoom conversation.)
Rebecca Renard-Wilson 