Tuskegee University Final Blog
As a HistoryMakers Digital Archive Student Ambassador, I have had a unique opportunity to delve into the vast archive and learn about my family history, and my identity as an Afro-Latina woman, and broaden my understanding of the Caribbean. My time as an ambassador has been both enlightening and empowering and has given me the tools to better understand myself and my place in the world. This sentiment resonated with me, as I too believe that storytelling is a powerful tool for educating and inspiring others. As a future documentary maker focusing on Afro-Latin immigration in Cuba, I am particularly interested in the intersection of storytelling and history. Cuba has a rich and complex history, with a significant portion of its population being of African descent. However, their stories and experiences are often overlooked in mainstream narratives. I believe that by sharing these stories through documentary film, we can shed light on the contributions and struggles of Afro-Latin communities and promote greater understanding and empathy.
The HistoryMakers Digital Archive is a vast repository of oral histories from African Americans across a variety of fields and professions. Through my work as an ambassador, I have been able to access these interviews and gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of African Americans throughout history. This has allowed me to connect with my own family history, in a way that I have never done before and fight to uphold histories that were previously subdued.
My work as an ambassador has also allowed me to confront some of my fears and anxieties. In previous articles, I wrote about bugs and insects – organisms that have scared me my entire life. However, through my work with the archive, I have been able to confront these fears and gain a better understanding of how they are necessary to the uplifting of the Black community and the role they have in history.
In addition to confronting my fears, I have also been able to reconnect with memories from my childhood that I had previously forgotten. Through the archive, I have been able to revisit the sights, sounds, and smells of my youth and gain a deeper appreciation for the experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today.
One of the highlights of my time as an ambassador has been working alongside Tierney Macon to plan a culmination celebration in the Ford Motor Library. This event will bring together Dr. Bratton, Ms. Graham, and Ms. Samuels to celebrate the outreach that I and Tierney have done with the archive. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication that we have put into this program, and it is a well-deserved recognition of our efforts.
Over the course of our time in the digital archive, I have had to do. many things that I previously found to be uncomfortable - looking at bugs, speaking in front of large audiences, and doing demos. Initially, when I first became an ambassador, I was overwhelmed by the amount of content in the archive and did not know what I was doing - which was apparent. Despite those initial setbacks, I can confidently say that I now can navigate the archive better than anyone else - and I cannot express how grateful I am for this experience.
In conclusion, my time as a HistoryMakers Digital Archive Student Ambassador has been a transformative experience. Through my work with the archive, I have been able to connect with my family history, confront my fears, and better understand my identity as an Afro-Latina woman. The archive will continue to grow and expand, with plans to add more interviews and additional features, such as a searchable database, educational resources, and curated exhibits. This expansion will further increase the archive's impact and reach, making it more accessible to researchers, educators, and the general public alike. Oral histories are critical for the Black community because they serve as a means to preserve and pass down the rich cultural heritage and history of Black people. In many cases, the experiences and contributions of Black people have been left out of mainstream history books, making it challenging for future generations to fully understand the Black experience. Oral histories fill this gap by providing a more comprehensive and nuanced account of the Black experience, including the struggles, triumphs, and unique cultural traditions that have been passed down for generations.
Chester Higgins Jr. (1946 - ) , a Tuskegee University alum and a famed photographer, had this to say about the consequences of the alienation of Black culture:
Well, we are people who are alienated from ourselves and that manifests itself in so many different ways. Probably the easiest way of understanding it is our self-hate because we're alienated we can now say you know that an abusive word is a kind word. We take abuse and we can't get rid of the abuse and we somehow feel the abuse really belongs to us, so we have to pretty it up by trying to find another way to say it. You know it's like excuse me, you know, and then the other part is that well because we're so alienated we can't relate to our ancestors and the place that we come from.
With the digital archive, the Black community doesn’t have to be alone anymore. We no longer have to be defined by slavery, segregation, and the trauma of our past. We can celebrate the triumph, the beauty, and the mastery of Black culture - wherever we fit.
Advice for Future Ambassadors:
Take as much time as you need to master the archive.
Giveaways will be pivotal for student engagement!
The archive may seem overwhelming at first, so ensure that you look through it when you have at least an hour.
If you think the archive doesn’t have something, it does!
Work closely with the other ambassadors, they will become great friends.