Ardra Whitney: Week 3 @ Avery Research Center

Monday, September 17^th: Wow, what a week! It was all hands on deck for Avery Research Center’s public history symposium and community gathering, “The Fire Every Time: Reframing Black Power Across the Twentieth Century and Beyond”. On Monday afternoon, Avery staff met for a Black Power conference planning meeting led by Education Coordinator, Sheila Harell-Roye to discuss event needs and logistics. That morning, I also met with Manger of Archival Services, Aaron Spelbring and Processing Archivist, Georgette Mayo to discuss our work in the Avery Research Center Archives, i.e., finding aids in progress; archival management software, such as Archivist Toolkit, Archon and NoteTab; digitization projects and internships; upcoming projects and collaborations with outside institutions; retention schedules and restricting confidential materials in archival collections. The meeting also provided me with the opportunity to address questions concerning the processing and preparation of a finding aid for the W. Melvin Brown, Jr. Papers. In addition, I used part of the morning and afternoon to prepare posts containing pertinent information about the Black Power Conference on Avery Research Center’s Facebook page.

Tuesday, September 18^th: This week I turned my focus to drafting a finding aid for the W. Melvin Brown, Jr. Papers. Using some of Avery’s online finding aids as examples and a template created by Mr. Spelbring, using DACS standards; I was able to complete a first draft by the end of the week. Now all I have left to do is finalize the collection’s physical arrangement; revise and encode the finding aid using NoteTab and label the collection’s folders and boxes. I also posted about the Pre-Black Power Conference party’s special guest, author writer and poet, Horace Mungin.

Wednesday, September 19^th: I attended a second meeting for the Black Power Conference with Education Coordinator, Sheila Harrell-Roye and assisted Administrative Assistant, Savannah Frierson with preparing name tags for conference participants.

Thursday, September 20^th:  I participated in a morning conference call with Lawrence E. Perea, Communications Director at The HistoryMakers and IMLS Fellows regarding the Back to School With The HistoryMakers program on September 28^th.  Mr. Perea asked each IMLS Fellow to discuss certain points during the BTS program regarding college preparedness and to use social media to promote the program at our host institutions.

After lunch, I went on a delightful tour of Charleston with Paul Gabarini of Uniquely Charleston Tours and helped Mr. Gabarini rehearse his tour route in preparation for the Black Power Conference. Mr. Gabarini was wonderfully knowledgeable about black history in Charleston and I learned a lot of interesting facts about the city during his tour. I think what I enjoyed most about the tour was getting to see Rainbow Row and William James Parker, the Tinsmith of Tradd Street’s home. Parker was a former slave turned business owner, who became one of the richest black men in Charleston. He is also the great-grandfather of Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell of Washington, D.C., a member of the a cappella group "Sweet Honey in the Rock."

By the evening, I was welcoming guests to Avery’s screening of “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” (the 1973 film based on the novel by Sam Greenlee) and selling tickets for the Pre-Black Power Conference “Rent” Party. I also worked with Avery’s graduate assistants and volunteers to prepare gift bags for conference participants

Friday, September 21^st and Saturday, September 22^nd:  With the addition of Library of Congress Subject Headings, I had completed my finding aid draft for the W. Melvin Brown, Jr. Papers.  At 3:00 PM, I participated in professional development conference call with Executive Director at the HistoryMakers, Julieanna Richardson; Program Coordinator at The HistoryMakers, Y’Hoshua Murray; the 2012-2013 IMLS Fellows; Ms. Louise Lippincott, Curator of Fine Arts at the Carnegie Museum of Art; and Mrs. Charlene Foggie-Barnett, where we discussed the Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris Collection at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

On Saturday, I provided Black Power Conference participants with general information about the conference; helped transport event food to designated locations; and attended Conference panels and film showings. Two of my favorite panel discussions of the conference were “Reframing Policy Perspectives on Black Power” and “Violence and Vindication: Reframing Riots/Rebellions, Self Defense, and Religion” because they highlighted the role churches played in supporting the Black Power Movement’s goals in promoting black collective interests, advancing black values and defending blacks against racial oppression.