Race and the Rise of Professionalized Collection Methodology
Location
Janet Ayers Academic Center, JAAC 4094
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
20-9-2018 10:00 AM
Description
The presentation will focus on the rise of pseudoscience in America and its effect on appraisal practices in archives and museums. Studies on race were rooted in pseudo-natural science theories which suggested that race derived from a biological hierarchy. These ideas gave a significant amount of power to those responsible for the care of repositories. Therefore, archivists/curators had two choices: “be passive record keepers risking the loss of critical information by neglect or deliberate destruction or be proactive in documenting history to protect human rights.” After the Civil War, the partnership between Black academics and public historians led to the creation of a new epistemology of history which placed African American history at the center of world civilization narratives. Instructors also incorporated primary materials they saved themselves. In turn, these scholars institutionalized Black history studies while simultaneously creating archives to preserve Black material culture.
Recommended Citation
Bouknight, Ashley, "Race and the Rise of Professionalized Collection Methodology" (2018). Humanities Symposium. 23.
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium/2018/2018/23
Race and the Rise of Professionalized Collection Methodology
Janet Ayers Academic Center, JAAC 4094
The presentation will focus on the rise of pseudoscience in America and its effect on appraisal practices in archives and museums. Studies on race were rooted in pseudo-natural science theories which suggested that race derived from a biological hierarchy. These ideas gave a significant amount of power to those responsible for the care of repositories. Therefore, archivists/curators had two choices: “be passive record keepers risking the loss of critical information by neglect or deliberate destruction or be proactive in documenting history to protect human rights.” After the Civil War, the partnership between Black academics and public historians led to the creation of a new epistemology of history which placed African American history at the center of world civilization narratives. Instructors also incorporated primary materials they saved themselves. In turn, these scholars institutionalized Black history studies while simultaneously creating archives to preserve Black material culture.
Comments
Convocation Credit: Society and the Arts and Sciences