Week 25: Ardra Whitney @ Avery Research Center

(Are they hiring?)

Monday, February 18^th:

In the morning I sent out an e-mail to Lauren Saulino asking her to post an announcement on the College of Charleston’s African-American Studies blog for the Black in the Lowcountry: Digital Photo Archive project. Afterwards I attended the weekly archives staff meeting with Manager of Archival Services, Aaron Spelbring and Processing Archivist, Georgette Mayo, where we discussed work updates, professional development and upcoming conferences. I also burned a copy of Cynthia McCottry-Smith’s oral history interview to CD and mailed it out to her along with a thank you note. By the end of the day I had completed processing the Friendly Union Society Records and encoding the finding aid for the collection in EAD.

That evening I attended Francoise N. Hamlin’s lecture on her recently published book, Crossroads At Clarksdale: The Black Freedom Struggle in the Mississippi Delta After World War II. Hamlin is the Hans Rothfels Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies at Brown University; during her lecture she shared stories about the black townspeople of Clarksdale, including the extent of political change their slow struggle for social equality was able to bring about. Hamlin also shared how leaders of Mississippi’s local civil rights organizations-- like Vera Pigee and Aaron Henry--worked to challenge Jim Crow through fights against inequality, police brutality, segregation, and economic injustice.

Tuesday, February 19^th - Wednesday, February 20^th:

On Tuesday Assistant Director, Deborah Wright spoke to me and Mr. Spelbring about managing Avery’s blogs and generating content for them regularly. I also asked Ms. Wright to give me user privileges for the Not Just in February blog, so that I could post an announcement on it about the Black in the Lowcountry: Digital Photo Archive project. On Wednesday, Ms. Mayo asked me to speak with Ruth Rambo about conducting an oral history interview on the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club. Ms. Rambo was in the reading room conducting research on the club for an outreach program she is planning for elementary through high school students. She also explained that she was a newly inducted member into the club and had been nominated for membership by the club’s president, Norma White.

That evening I had the chance to attend one of the club’s monthly meetings, where I listened to members discuss revisions to their constitution. I helped member, Sharon Reed setup for the meeting in Avery’s McKinley Washington Auditorium and was treated to a delicious dinner, which included fried chicken, collard greens, brown rice, shrimp and stuffing, salad, and lemon cake for dessert. Yum!

Thursday, February 21^st - Friday, February 22^nd:

On Thursday I posted a photo submissions announcement for the Black in the Lowcountry: Digital Photo Archive project on Facebook and the Not Just in February blog. I also attended Avery’s weekly general staff meeting at noon and at the end of the day, Dr. James Anderson's lecture, entitled “Affirmative Action and the New Color: Fischer v. the University of Texas and Public Discourse about Race in Educational Policy”. On Friday I posted photos and pertinent online articles to Avery’s Facebook and Twitter pages and continued my work on the Virginia Geraty Papers.