announcing the new ArchivesSpace Diversity Partnership cohort
Christine Di Bella
Hello ArchivesSpace members,
I am delighted to announce our new cohort for the ArchivesSpace Diversity Partnership, a program designed to offer support for implementing the ArchivesSpace application to institutions that are themselves or primarily serve communities currently underrepresented in the ArchivesSpace community. The five institutions are:
Cherokee National Research Center – based in the tribe’s capital city of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the research center serves as the official repository for the Cherokee Nation, the largest federally-recognized Native American tribe in the United States. The state-of-the-art facility is home to the tribe’s collection of historic documents and cultural artifacts from the 1700s through present day.
CUNY Haitian Studies Institute – an academic unit within the City University of New York with a threefold mission to contribute to knowledge about Haitians and the Haitian Diaspora, facilitate a community of collaboration among scholars and learners of all ages conducting research or serving the Haitian community and community-based organizations, and engage in analysis and research practices to better understand policy and programs directed at Haiti and the Haitian community.
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe – based in Massachusetts, the mission of the tribe’s archives is to collect, preserve, and make accessible the material culture and historical record of the Wampanoag people and illuminate the long history of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, their rich indigenous culture, and the historical significance of their persistent survival in the face of centuries of contact and conquest.
Soomaal House of Art - a Minnesota-based Somali artist collective and arts organization whose mission is to document and preserve contemporary Somali art, the lived experiences of Somali Minnesotans, and the historical archive of Somalia and Somalis.
Texas Southern University – one of the nation’s largest historically black universities, with the Traditional African Art Gallery, the Charles F. Heartman Collection, Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland Archives and other special collections that are related to the black experience in the United States and the world, the history of the university, and the City of Houston.
We were fortunate to receive many strong applications, from a fascinating group of archives and collecting institutions, which provided our reviewing team with quite a challenge when putting together this relatively small cohort. Our Registered Service Providers provide substantial support for this program and I want to thank Lydia Tang of Lyrasis Hosting and Anne Marie Lyons of Atlas Systems for joining Jessica Crouch and me on the selection group this year.
We are excited to have such excellent partners joining the community. We are also very thankful to the partners from our inaugural cohort - Black Cultural Archives, Detroit Sound Conservancy, Spelman College, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Xavier University of Louisiana - for their work with us and for their willingness to stay on and be a source of support for the new partners.
Thanks to all of you in the member community for making programs like this possible. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or thoughts about making ArchivesSpace more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.
All best,
Christine
Christine Di Bella
ArchivesSpace Senior Program Manager
