Archives & Things
By Melissa J. Nelson
30 | BONUS: Openings
Summary:
It's the last episode of the Archives & Things podcast. In this bonus episode, I say goodbye to the last chapter of my journey and move forward into openings. I also bring light to the current Archivaria Editor Team’s acts of violence as a “humiliation ritual” and means for exclusion, gatekeeping, and destruction. I call on the Association of Canadian Archivists to honour their commitment to address the culture of white supremacy and violence against Black people in the archival profession.
Episode Resources:
(Editors) Rebecka Taves Sheffield and Mario H. Ramirez. Call for Papers for Archivaria 100: Legacies of Critical Theory in Archives (Fall 2025). https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/announcement/view/83
Dr. Carol Anderson. “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide.” Youtube. https://youtu.be/YBYUET24K1c?si=RDXrdc9qgSoROmT4
Association of Canadian Archivists’ Statement condemning racism, injustice, and violence against Black people (June 2020). https://archivists.ca/resources/EmailTemplates/!SC_2020_06%20ACA%20Scope%20and%20Content%20Volume%201,%20Issue%206%20June%202020/index_preview.html
Roger NMcKenzie, "The Rebirth of the African Phoenix a View from Babylon." https://www.manifestopress.coop/product/roger-mckenzie-the-rebirth-of-the-african-phoenix-a-view-from-babylon
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my website at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
29 | Petrina Jackson, Schlesinger Library, Harvard University
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Petrina Jackson, Executive Director of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University. Petrina joined us to speak about advocacy and navigating the politics of white institutions.
Episode Resources:
W.E.B. DuBois, "The Souls of Black Folk." https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Souls-of-Black-Folk/W-E-B-Dubois/Enriched-Classics/9781416500414
Ruha Benjamin (2024). Imagination: A Manifesto. https://www.ruhabenjamin.com/imagination-a-manifesto
Black Portraiture[s] Conference. https://www.blackportraitures.info/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
28 | Shane Laptiste & Tura Cousins Wilson, SOCA
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Shane Laptiste and Tura Cousins Wilson, leading architects of Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA). Shane and Tura joined us to speak about Black geographies and Black built environments as sites of remembrance.
Episode Resources:
Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA). https://socadesign.ca/
(Eds.) Katherine McKittrick and Clyde Woods. (2007). Black Geographies and the Politics of Place. https://btlbooks.com/book/black-geographies-and-the-politics-of-place
Tura Cousins Wilson and Shane Laptiste. (2025). “Conjay's First Walk Home.” In, Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/messy-cities-zahra-ebrahim/1146454519
Amanda Nkeramihigo (June 27, 2025). Afrofuturism and Postapocalyptic Subjectivity. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09593543251347548
Michael McMillan. (2024). AGO. The Front Room: Diaspora Migrant Aesthetics in the Home. https://ago.ca/events/michael-mcmillan-front-room
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
27 | Audra A. Diptee, Carleton University
Summary:
Welcome to the opener for season 4! In this episode, I welcome Audra A. Diptee, an Associate Professor of History at Carleton University. Audra joined us to speak about her research on the weaponization of colonial archives to rewrite history.
Episode Resources:
Audra A. Diptee. https://www.audradiptee.com/
Audra A. Diptée. (Apr 27, 2023). The records the British Empire didn't want you to see. YouTube. https://youtu.be/oPGVGckn7kQ?si=CnHTyoE6T6WH6DOG
Alex Williams. (2016). The Pass System. http://thepasssystem.ca/
Donald J. Trump. Executive Order. Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. (March 27, 2025). https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
26 | Cheryl Foggo, C Foggo Co.
Summary:
It’s the last episode of the year. In this episode, I welcome Cheryl Foggo, an author, filmmaker, playwright and community historian. Cheryl joins us to speak about her work recovering Black Prairie histories through film and storytelling.
Episode Resources:
Cheryl Foggo (January 24, 2022). Here: The Prairies are rich with the collective memories of the Black people who came before us. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/here
Cheryl Foggo (2020). Pourin’ Down Rain: A Black Woman Claims Her Place in the Canadian West. https://bookpublishers.ab.ca/titles/pourin-down-rain-2/
Cheryl Foggo (2020). John Ware Reclaimed. (Film). https://www.nfb.ca/film/john-ware-reclaimed/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my website at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram or by email at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
25 | Phil Vassell & Donna McCurvin, Canada Black Music Archives
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Phil Vassell and Donna McCurvin, co-founders of Canada Black Music Archives. Phil and Donna join us to speak about this digital archive which aims to research, preserve, and amplify the rich, largely untold music history of Black Canadians.
Episode Resources:
Canada Black Music Archives. https://thecbma.com/
Kayla McLean (August 10, 2024). A walk through time: New tour spotlights Little Jamaica’s music history. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/10690013/toronto-little-jamaica-tour/amp/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my website at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram or by email at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
24 | Kadeem Dunn, Diaspora Games
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Kadeem Dunn, a video game creator at Diaspora Games. Kadeem joins us to speak about his work recreating memory through historical video games.
Episode Resources:
Diaspora Games. Games for us, by us. https://www.diasporagames.ca/index.html
Channon Oyeniran (February 8, 2019). Sleeping Car Porters in Canada. Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sleeping-car-porters-in-canada
Replika https://replika.com/
Hirun Cryer (May 17, 2024). Who is Assassin's Creed Shadows' protagonist Yasuke? The history behind the first Black Samurai explained. Games Radar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/assassin-s-creed/who-is-assassins-creed-shadows-protagonist-yasuke-the-history-behind-the-first-black-samurai-explained/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
23 | Michaëlle Sergile, McCord Stewart Museum
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Michaëlle Sergile, an artist and independent curator completing an artist residency with McCord Stewart Museum. Michaëlle joins us to speak about her artistic practice of capturing and rewriting collective memory through textiles.
Episode Resources:
Artworks. Michaëlle Sergile. Retrieved May 10, 2024, from https://en.michaellesergile.com/oeuvres
Cheryl Thompson (2019). Black Canada and Why The Archival Logic of Memory Needs Reform. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ateliers/2019-v14-n2-ateliers05462/1071133ar.pdf
Fantz Fanon (1952). Black Skin, White Masks. https://groveatlantic.com/book/black-skin-white-masks/
McCord Steward Museum (2019). The Notman Photographic Archives on UNESCO's Canada Memory of The World Register. https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/blog/notman-archives-unesco/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
22 | Dr. Meredith D. Clark, Northeastern University
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Dr. Meredith D. Clark, Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University. Meredith joins us to speak about her project Archiving Black Twitter, which seeks to empower Black Twitter users to create their own “small histories” from their data.
Episode Resources:
Juana Summers, Sarah Handel, Jonaki Mehta (May 26, 2023). She's trying to archive Black Twitter. It's a delicate and imperfect task. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/26/1178262041/archiving-black-twitter-elon-musk-meredith-clark
Archiving Black Twitter (n.d.). Meredith D. Clarke, PhD. Retrieved January 2, 2024, from https://www.meredithdclark.com/archivingblacktwitter
Archiving the Black Web (2021). https://www.archivingtheblackweb.org
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
21 | Kelann Currie-Williams, Concordia University
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Kelann Currie-Williams, lens-based artist and doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Program at Concordia University. Kelann joins us to speak about the poetics of the archives.
Episode Resources:
Tina Campt (2017). "Listening to Images." https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1134dm3
Kelann Currie-Williams. (2021). Prolonging the Afterimage: Looking at and Talking about Photographs of Black Montreal. Concordia University. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/988140/13/CurrieWilliams_MA_S2021.pdf
Kelann Currie-Williams (2021). Makers and Keepers: Two Lives, Through Photographs. Canadian Journal of History, 56(3). https://utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.3138/cjh.56-3-2021-0044
Patrick Lejtenyi (September 29, 2020). Concordia undergrads explore Montreal's Black history through the Negro Community Centre Archives. https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2020/09/29/concordia-undergrads-explore-montreals-black-history-through-the-negro-community-centre-archives.html
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
20 | Dr. Elizabeth Shaffer, School of Information, University of British Columbia
Summary:
Welcome to the opener for season 3! In this episode, I welcome Dr. Elizabeth Shaffer, a critical archives scholar and Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Information. Elizabeth joins us to speak about her research on the intersections of Black memory production and technology.
Episode Resources:
Transformative Memory Digital Archive. https://omeka.irshdc.ubc.ca/s/Transformative-Memory/page/welcome
Christina Sharpe (2016). In the Wake: On Blackness and Being.” Duke University Press. https://www.dukeupress.edu/in-the-wake
Katherine McKittrick (2021). Dear Science and Other Stories. Duke University Press. https://www.dukeupress.edu/dear-science-and-other-stories
Tonia Sutherland (2024). Resurrecting the Black Body: Race and the Digital Afterlife. https://www.ucpress.edu/books/resurrecting-the-black-body/paper
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
19 | BONUS: Elaine Young & Cody Groat, CCUNESCO
Summary:
It's the last episode of the year. In this bonus episode, I welcome Elaine Young, Program Officer, Communication and Information at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) and Cody Groat, Chair of the Canada Advisory Committee of CCUNESCO. Elaine and Cody join us to speak about the Canada Memory of the World Register, which promotes the rich diversity of the country’s documentary heritage.
Episode Resources:
Canada Memory of the World Register. https://en.ccunesco.ca/our-priorities/memory-of-the-world
Cody Groat. (May 24, 2023). Guardians of our Knowledge. CCUNESCO. https://en.ccunesco.ca/idealab/guardians-of-our-knowledge-memory-of-the-world
Sheryl Assam. (September 22, 2023). Quilting exhibition celebrates Nova Scotia’s Black communities. Broadview. https://broadview.org/secret-codes-quilts-nova-scotia/
Alison Duke & Ngardy Conteh. (2018). Archiving Winston LaRose. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/features/archiving-winston-larose
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
18 | Désirée Rochat, COHDS
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Désirée Rochat, a community educator and postdoctoral fellow with the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) and the Department of History at Concordia University. Désirée joins us to speak about her initiatives to preserve and promote Black community archives in Quebec.
Episode Resources:
Désirée Rochat. (2022). Cultivating Black diasporic memories and communities through community archiving. In Cindy Maguire and Ann Holt (eds.), Arts and Culture in Global Development Practice. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003148203-8/cultivating-black-diasporic-memories-communities-community-archiving-d%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e-rochat
Jeannette Allis Bastian. (2003). Owning Memory: How a Caribbean Community Lost Its Archives and Found Its History. Libraries Unlimited.https://www.amazon.ca/Owning-Memory-Caribbean-Community-Archives/dp/031332008X
Kimberly Christen & Jane Anderson. (2019). Toward slow archives. Archival Science, 19(2). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10502-019-09307-x
Zakiya Collier and Tonia Sutherland. (2021). Black Archival Practice. The Black Scholar. https://www.theblackscholar.org/call-for-papers/black-archival-practice/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
17 | Nana aba Duncan, Carleton University
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Nana aba Duncan, Associate Professor and Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies at Carleton University. Nana aba joins us to speak about her plans to launch the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging.
Episode Resources:
Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging. https://view.genial.ly/61e58f69c08f6f0ceda67f2a
Diversity Survey. The Canadian Association of Journalists. https://caj.ca/programs/diversity-survey/
Sam Winn. (April 24, 2017). The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives. https://medium.com/on-archivy/the-hubris-of-neutrality-in-archives-8df6b523fe9f
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
16 | Dr. Funké Aladejebi, University of Toronto
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Dr. Funké Aladejebi, Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Toronto. Funké joins us to speak about her work conducting oral histories with Black women educators.
Episode Resources:
Dr. Funké Aladejebi (November 4, 2020). Seeing Themselves: Race, Education and Black Life in Canada. McMaster Humanities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdTUFIRaIDw
Dr. Funké Aladejebi. (January 19, 2021). Liberatory Pedagogies: Black Women Teachers in Ontario. Amherstburg Freedom Museum. https://youtu.be/VKB6u-Wl4g4
Funké Aladejebi. (2021). Schooling the System: A History of Black Women Teachers. McGill-Queen’s University Press. https://www.mqup.ca/schooling-the-system-products-9780228005391.php
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
15 | Martina Douglas, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Martina Douglas from the University of Toronto Faculty of Information. Martina joins us to speak about her work as Director of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit.
Episode Resources:
Anima Leadership. (n.d.) Home. Retrieved June 14, 2023. https://animaleadership.com/
Oy Lein Jace Harrison, Lo Humeniuk & Dominica Tang. (2020). A Report on Diversity and Inclusion Experiences at the Faculty of Information. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hXWHfO65Gk7ilyGKCpz95pk38H1Vdkbn/view?usp=drive_link
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
14 | Dr. Mark V. Campbell, Northside Hip Hop Archive
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Dr. Mark V. Campbell, founding director and curator of Northside Hip Hop Archive. Mark joins us to speak about this digital collection of Canadian hip-hop history and culture.
Episode Resources:
About. (n.d.). Northside Hip Hop. Retrieved May 20, 2023, from https://www.nshharchive.ca
Mark V. Campbell. (February 2022). Still Tho: Aesthetic Survival in Hip-Hop’s Visual Art. Canadian Council for the Arts. https://canadacouncil.ca/about/ajagemo/still-tho
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
13 | Olivia Wong, Toronto Metropolitan University Libraries
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Olivia Wong, Special Collections Curatorial Specialist at Toronto Metropolitan University Libraries. Olivia joins us to speak about her anti-racist description work, which improves descriptions for those harmed by white supremacy and represents their histories more equitably and accurately.
Episode Resources:
Alison Skyrme, Cheryl Thompson, Emilie Jabouin, and Olivia Wong. (April 10, 2022). Canadian Blackface Culture: Confronting Racist Materials in Canadian Archives. Toronto Metropolitan University. https://rshare.library.ryerson.ca/articles/presentation/Canadian_Blackface_Culture_Confronting_Racist_Materials_in_Canadian_Archives/15137016
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia’s Anti-Racist Description Working Group (October 2019). Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia: Anti-Racist Description Resources https://archivesforblacklives.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/ardr_final.pdf
Cheryl Thompson & Emilie Jabouin. (February 3, 2021). Blackface in the Kodak Archive, Ryerson’s Special Collections: Context for Reading ‘Racist’ Images, Toronto Metropolitan University Archives & Special Collections. https://library.torontomu.ca/asc/2021/02/blackface-in-the-kodak-archive-ryersons-special-collections-context-for-reading-racist-images/
Jessica Tai. (2021). Cultural Humility as a Framework for Anti-Oppressive Archival Description, in “Radical Empathy in Archival Practice,” eds. Elvia Arroyo-Ramírez, Jasmine Jones, Shannon O’Neill, and Holly Smith. Special issue, Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies 3, no. 2. https://journals.litwinbooks.com/index.php/jclis/article/view/120
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
12 | Tonya Sutherland-Stewart, Jackson Park Project
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Tonya Sutherland-Stewart, head of archive development and researcher for the Jackson Park Project. Tonya joins us to speak about the development of this digital archive of Emancipation Day celebrations in Windsor, Ontario that shone a light on Civil Rights struggles.
Episode Resources:
Audra Gray (Producer) & Katarzyna Kochany (Director). (2019). Journey Back to Jackson Park. CBC Gem. https://cbcgem.app/hZ36RNiJek1emeL19
Jackson Park Project. (Sep 21, 2022). Culture Days 2022: Savouring Food & Freedom Extended Version. YoutTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHCoVxNWZQ&t=7s
The Jackson Park Project [@jacksonparkproject]. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved from, https://instagram.com/jacksonparkproject?igshid=MDE2OWE1N2Q=
Royal Ontario Museum. (Jul 27, 2020). Emancipation Day: Canada’s Past, Present & Future. YoutTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA4f-lmpm9w&t=1s
Royal Ontario Museum. (Aug 10, 2020). Emancipation Day: The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth. YoutTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDKslDG-ujk&t=17s
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
11 | Dr. Kristin Moriah, Queen’s University
Summary:
Welcome to the opener for season 2! In this episode, I welcome Dr. Kristin Moriah, Assistant Professor of African American Literature and Culture in the English Department at Queen’s University. Kristin joins us to speak about her work expanding research on Black political organizing in Canada and the United States.
Episode Resources:
Colored Conventions Project. (n.d.). University of Delaware. https://coloredconventions.org/
Douglass Day 2023 featuring the Papers of Mary Ann Shadd Cary. February 14, 2023. https://douglassday.org/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
10 | BONUS: Your Questions Answered
Summary:
It's the last episode of the year. In this bonus episode, I answer questions from you, the listener. The following are the submitted questions:
Q1: Can you talk a little bit about why it's important to document and preserve racist history & archival records?
Q2: Is there an extent to which archive-holding institutions need to do a better job of supporting archivists (e.g., mental health supports), and particularly BIPOC archivists, who may be working with these materials?
Q3: In your own training, were there courses that dealt with the topic of racist materials that helped to prepare you for the possibility of working with them?
Q4: Do these same principles apply to museum collections? I once worked at a museum that had a machine intended to do a job typically done by Chinese workers. The machine was called "The Iron Chink." Displaying it was obviously controversial. The museum took the stance that "We are not condoning this by exhibiting it. This is history."
Q5: Do you have colleagues at other archives in Canada who are also taking an anti-racist approach to the collections they work with? Do many archives have specific policies around working with explicitly racist materials?
Q6: As a Black researcher and academic, how do you explain the difficulty of searching for Black life in colonial archives to white archivists who don’t have that understanding?
Q7 How do you negotiate the place of Black researchers and Black Canadian history when the gatekeepers to memory are white settlers?
Episode Resources:
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Working Group. (2019). Anti-Racist Description Resources. https://archivesforblacklives.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/ardr_final.pdf
Archives of Ontario. Statement on Language and Description. http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/access/statement_language_description.aspx
Bashir Mohamed. (September 7, 2018).Calgary’s Unknown Civil Rights Champion. The Sprawl. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/calgarys-unknown-civil-rights-hero
David Pilgrim (2005). Why I collect racist objects. Jim Crow Museum, Ferris State University. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/collect.htm
Katie Sloan, Jennifer Vanderfluit and Jennifer Douglas. (2019). Not ‘Just My Problem to Handle’: Emerging Themes on Secondary Trauma and Archivists. Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies. 6 (20). https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1090&context=jcas
Melissa J. Nelson. Work with me. https://melissajnelson.com/contact/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
09 | Aaron T. Francis, Vintage Black Canada
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Aaron T. Francis, a community archivist, multidisciplinary artist, and curator of Vintage Black Canada. Aaron joins us to speak about this archive initiative.
Episode Resources:
Vintage Black Canada [@vintageblackcanada]. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved from, https://instagram.com/vintageblackcanada?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
MacCleans (July 19, 2023). "These vintage photos celebrate Black communities in Canada through the decades." https://macleans.ca/culture/these-vintage-photos-celebrate-black-communities-in-canada-through-the-decades/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
08 | Alexandra Mills, Concordia University Library
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Alexandra Mills, the Special Collections Archivist at Concordia University Library. Alexandra joins us to speak about her work activating Black archives.
Episode Resources:
Patrick Lejtenyi (August 31, 2021). Montreal’s Black history archives continue to grow at Concordia’s Vanier Library. Concordia University. https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2021/08/31/montreals-black-history-archives-continue-to-grow-at-concordia.html
Dana Isaac. (Curator). (July 5, 2022) Black women in Canada - Filling a role, finding a role (Exhibit). Concordia University. https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#guid=https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#i5_Jul_2022_10:06:00_EDT
Desirée Rochat and Alexandra Mills. (Curators). (October 26, 2022). 100 Years of Black Community Activism: The Intersecting Histories of the NCC and La Maison d’Haïti. Concordia University. https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#guid=https://library.concordia.ca/about/news/#i26_Oct_2022_14:45:00_EST
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
07 | Stanley H. Griffin, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Stanley H. Griffin, former Archivist-in-Charge of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Archives. Stanley joins us to speak about Caribbean archives and his work as a Senior Lecturer in Archival and Information Studies in the Department of Library and Information Studies, UWI Mona Campus, Jamaica.
Episode Resources:
Stanley Griffin (2021). “Where Records Dance, Song, and Talk: Exploring Caribbean Record Forms and Archival Studies.” The Archival Education and Research Initiative (AERI). https://youtu.be/-jHZEIFr_9A
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
06 | Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson, NSCAD University
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Professor Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson from NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) in Halifax. Charmaine joins us to speak about her work as Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery (renamed Slavery North).
Episode Resources:
NSCAD University. (n.d.). Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery. NSCAD University. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://nscad.ca/research/institute-for-the-study-of-canadian-slavery/
University of Massachusetts. (August 16, 2022). Prominent Scholar and Art Historian Charmaine A. Nelson joins UMass Amherst History of Art and Architecture Department. https://www.umass.edu/news/article/prominent-scholar-and-art-historian-charmaine-nelson-joins-umass-amherst-history-art#:~:text=Prominent%20scholar%2C%20art%20historian%2C%20educator,Visual%20Culture%20in%20fall%202022
Slavery North. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from https://slaverynorth.com/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
05 | Natasha Henry-Dixon, Ontario Black History Society
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Natasha Henry-Dixon, historian and president of the Ontario Black History Society. Natasha joins us to speak about the Ontario Black History Society's campaign to build their own archives.
Episode Resources:
Ontario Black History Society. Donate to our museum fund. https://blackhistorysociety.ca/museum-cultural-centre/
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
04 | Dr. Mary Louise McCarthy-Brandt, REACH NB
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome historian Dr. Mary Louise McCarthy-Brandt from Remembering Each African Cemeteries History in New Brunswick (REACH NB). Mary joins us to speak about her research locating and documenting forgotten and abandoned Black burial grounds..
Episode Resources:
Lauren Bird (Nov 30, 2021). New nonprofit seeks to locate and record gravesites of Black people in New Brunswick. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/black-history-new-brunswick-1.6267214
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
03 | Rebecca Hankins, Texas A&M University Libraries
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome archivist/librarian Rebecca Hankins from Texas A&M University Libraries. Rebecca joins us to speak about her experience working with racist archival materials as a Black woman.
Episode Resources:
Rebecca Hankins. Capturing Controversy and Digitizing Racism: Yearbooks at Texas A&M University. July 15, 2020. https://tamu.libcal.com/event/6860107
David Pilgrm. "The Garbage Man: Why I collect Racist Objects." Jim Crow Museum. https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/collect.htm
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
02 | Sean Smith, Archives of Ontario
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome Sean Smith, Senior Archivist at the Archives of Ontario. Sean joins us to speak about his experience building relationships with Black communities in Ontario.
Episode Resources:
Alvin D. McCurdy Fonds. Archives of Ontario GLAM Wiki. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images_from_Archives_of_Ontario_-_F_2076_Alvin_D._McCurdy_fonds
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.
01 | Welcome to the Gate
Summary:
In this episode, I welcome listeners to Archives & Things and explain the concept behind the creation of this podcast.
Episode Resources:
The podcast logo features the photograph, "Street View from Family Home" from my family archives. It was captured in October 1974 in Independent City, Jamaica. This archive was accumulated by my grandmother. My mother is the steward of these records.
Land Acknowledgement:
As you listen in, this podcast was recorded on the traditional territories of many Indigenous nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. The land I am on is covered by the Toronto Purchase Treaty 13, which was signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This place is now home to many diverse Indigenous peoples from across North America. As a Black woman, I know that Black and Indigenous struggles and oppressions are deeply linked. The displacement and enslavement that came from settler colonialism were interconnected processes. I also acknowledge that settler colonialism is a current and ongoing process in this land. As I stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples, I am also grateful for the opportunity to live, create, and work on this land.
Stay Connected:
If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Anchor, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To learn more about my work, visit my blog at https://melissajnelson.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.