LibGuides: Resources for Racial Justice and Reconciliation: Archiving Activism

Introduction

The resources listed on this page can help you document your experiences as an activist if that is a path you would like to pursue. The guide is meant to equip you with information, tools and resources to make informed decisions about capturing, collecting, and preserving materials related to activism and protest. University Archives and Special Collections staff are on hand to help you work through any questions or concerns you might have. We are here to listen and learn together.

University Archives and Special Collections fully supports the statements of the following organizations:

Advice

Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Statement on Police Violence
This statement from the Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia discusses critical issues and provides a list of resources to consider when thinking about archiving protests.
The Blackivists’ Five Tips for Organizers, Protestors, and Anyone Documenting Movements
In this time of revolutionary collective action, social and political uncertainty, and as we witness local and world injustices, the Blackivists offer five quick tips to keep in mind as we work together to protect our collective documentation that proves we are here, addressing and safeguarding our people and communities.

Archiving Activism Resources

Documenting the Now
Documenting the Now has incredible tools, resources, and advice for activist groups and archivists looking to document their work. Their website hosts recorded symposium sessions on topics such as "Digital Blackness in the Archive: Collecting for the Culture" and the ethics of web archiving. This website is a must-visit.
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"Documenting the Now responds to the public's use of social media for chronicling historically significant events as well as demand from scholars, students, and archivists, among others, seeking a user-friendly means of collecting and preserving this type of digital content. Documenting the Now has a strong commitment to prioritizing ethical practices when working with social media content, especially in terms of collection and long-term preservation. This commitment extends to Twitter's notion of honoring user intent and the rights of content creators. The project is a collaborative effort between Shift Design, Inc., the University of Maryland, and the University of Virginia. We are extremely grateful for funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation."
WITNESS Library
A Library of Free Resources for Video Activists, Trainers and Their Allies. WITNESS provides video tutorials on a variety of topics (concealing identity, informed consent, transferring electronic files).
National Forum on Ethics and Archiving the Web
Conference session recordings exploring how "Web archives can serve as witness to crimes, corruption, and abuse; they are powerful advocacy tools; they support community memory around moments of political change, cultural expression, or tragedy. At the same time, they can cause harm and facilitate surveillance and oppression."
Resources for Archiving the Aftermath
Resources for those contemplating a project to collect and curate collections to be housed in grief or trauma archives.

Projects and Primary Sources

Project STAND
Project STAND provides a centralized access point to historical and archival documentation on the development and on-going occurrences of student dissent.