Black Lives Matter

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.

From abstract: "The Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection consists of posters, banners, clothing, photographs, and ephemeral objects attached to the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence (BLM Fence) surrounding Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C, from June 2020 to January 2021. The artifacts were attached to the fence to protest the treatment of Black and Brown communities by police and address various social issues, including racism, LGBTQIA+ rights, women's rights, immigration, international human rights violations, nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, the 2020 presidential campaign, politicians, and elections."

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.

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."

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

Resources for those contemplating a project to collect and curate collections to be housed in grief or trauma archives.

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).