Preserving Cultural Histories and Stories

Arts organizations rooted in communities of color often have rich histories. But their legacies are often at a risk of being lost because of lack of support from institutional archives and funders, insufficient staff expertise and time, and precarious storage methods. 

Researchers from the UCLA Community Archives Lab and staff from the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) sought to better understand what type of archival practices currently exist within arts organizations rooted in communities of color. In addition to a deeper understanding of the deep importance organizational histories are to both organization and community members, the study also highlighted a desire to make their histories known and accessible for Black artists of the future.  

The findings show how archival institutions and funders can better support organizations to bolster their own histories, and the need for better training of archivists rooted in communities of color. 

This brief is based on Archiving the Arts: Preserving Our Past, Cultivating Our Future: Guidelines and a Three-Part Study on Preserving the History of BIPOC-Centered Arts Organizations written by Michelle Caswell, Thuy Vo Dang, Tonia Sutherland, Anna Robinson-Sweet, and James Epps.