The Sheridan Libraries are delighted to announce the launch of Curating and Archiving Black Baltimore (CABB), a one-year project funded by a Johns Hopkins Discovery Award, which recognizes cross-divisional teams engaged in new research and creation.
This project extends the Sheridan Libraries’ collaboration with the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts (BHCLA) in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences in support of community archives—collections of documents, photographs, works of art, publications, and other materials of significance created by and for discrete communities.
“Such collections are especially crucial sources of historical and cultural information when they document the activities and experiences of people in communities that have often been neglected by or marginalized within traditional library collections, such as Baltimore’s African American social and cultural organizations, neighborhoods, educational and religious institutions, notable families, and accomplished individuals,” says Gabrielle Dean, William Kurrelmeyer Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts and the project’s Principal Investigator.
The initiative will provide archival and preservation assistance to several historic African American religious institutions based in West Baltimore and resources to document local collections of art by significant Black artists. The goal is to ensure that important Baltimore-area legacies are preserved for the future. An innovative feature of CABB is that, in tandem with these archival ventures, the project also builds in curatorial and public history expertise. In collaboration with community partners, CABB leaders will develop public-facing activities that will illuminate historic materials, enabling research as well as broader conversations.
Tonika Berkley, who will direct community archives projects for CABB says, “Synthesizing archival preservation with curatorial practices is vital to ensuring that the cultural heritage of our Black institutions will not only be preserved in perpetuity, but that those institution’s artifacts and ephemera will continue to inform the community at large of their historical, artistic, and cultural contributions to the fabric of Black Baltimore.”
The BHCLA, led by Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of English and History Lawrence Jackson, will guide the project’s public humanities initiatives, building on its impressive track record of Black history and public humanities programming. The Peabody Conservatory’s nationally renowned Jazz Studies department, led by Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair and Professor Sean Jones, will serve as CABB’s third partner, providing expertise in the development of public performances and access to a cadre of emerging professional musicians.
Raynetta Wiggins-Jackson, who will direct public humanities projects for CABB notes, “I am looking forward to sharing some of the powerful stories of Baltimore’s Black faith communities. Their historical contributions have been profound as they have shaped the religious, civic, and cultural lives of people in Baltimore and across the nation for two centuries. The vision, tenacity, and strategic efforts of leaders within these congregations should not just be commended but studied for the rich lessons that they could offer to contemporary society. I am so excited for the discoveries to be made within the community archives housed within and stewarded by these churches. My hope is that this project offers another meaningful step in the work of honoring the history of these communities while expanding their visibility.”