Praxis for the People: Critical Race Theory and Archival Practice

Abstract

ing up not even 3 percent of the population (Society of American Archivists 2005). To address the overwhelming demographic whiteness of the field, the Society of American Archivists (SAA) has established programs like the Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award, of which I am a past recipient, to help diversify the profession. While participating in initiatives like the Pinkett have been instrumental in my training, I also credit my professional success to the network of librarians, archivists, and colleagues of color who provide consistent support and encouragement. Relationships formed through scholarship and leadership programs, community work, conferences, campus affiliation, and familial connections are invaluable. This nationwide network is crucial, as I find myself one of fewer than five Black professional staff and the sole Black archivist in an entire library system at one of the largest universities in the country. Added to that, I focus almost exclusively on collections documenting Black people across space and time. Though the lack of professional diversity is disappointing, it is not a deterrent— what I bring to this work, and what brought me to this work, is my identity as a Black woman. Any way you slice it, my work is interesting, challenging, exciting, and highly racialized. As a member of the professional minority, I feel a great deal of responsibility to the people represented in collections, the donors whose collections I steward, and my fellow People of Color (POC) colleagues. I must use every bit of privilege my position affords to support and create space for my fellow POC. As “the diversity” in an 12