This post is about TED talk by archivist Dominique Luster and her work to uplift African American voices in historical records that are held by archives. She makes the important point that history is not just a linear recounting of events, it can have bias and re-write peoples’ pasts from a particular person or group’s point of view, essentially erasing marginalised voices.
“The inclusion or exclusion of documents from history making is an expression of power.” – Dominique Luster
She is constructing an archive of works by Pittsburgh journalist Teenie Harris, who, via his articles and photography, documented everyday African American lives from the 1930s-1970s. The archive is being built and described as the community would describe it, using their standards and vocabularies. It’s a short talk, but she has some very important points to make in terms of inclusiveness and bias and it’s well worth a watch.
“The collective power of memory has the ability to propel life forward into contemporary relevance.” – Dominique Luster