Celebrating Black History Month in the Archives

Members of OAA recently attended the Treasure Your Roots 2018 Genealogy Conference in Oklahoma City. The event offered attendees the chance to learn about a number of resources available for African American genealogical work. Many of those resources are available through the National Archives’ Library Information Center Black History Page.

As archivists and information professionals, we are always excited to find new ways to better serve our communities. In celebration of Black History Month, we’re taking some time to explore these resources and to think about the different pathways that African Americans often have to take in search of their personal and family histories. Not only is this exciting and thought-provoking work (check out the Freedmen’s Bureau Project for one example) it allows us the opportunity to examine our own practices of appraisal and description, and to become better informed about the needs of users.

OAA looks forward to seeing and attending events like Treasure Your Roots in the future!

How is your collecting institution celebrating Black History Month?