Melissa J. Nelson is an archivist, educator, and community connector based in Toronto, Canada.  

Her work centres Black being and belonging in the archives to support collective healing and liberation movements. She is guided by critical and creative praxis to reimagine the Archives as sites of Black joy. In 2023, Melissa was the recipient of the Association of Canadian Archivists’ New Professional Award and Ancestry Award. 

Melissa is the author of “Archiving Hate: Racist Materials in Archives.” This post has been referenced by collecting institutions in their commitment to equity practices, including the Baker Library of Harvard Business School in “Guiding Principles for Conscious and Inclusive Description.” She has a consulting practice that has spanned across notable clients such as Harvard University, ARMA International, Library and Archives Canada, Association of Canadian Archivists, among others. 

Melissa is currently an Archivist at the Archives of Ontario. She is the Founder and Creative Director of the Black Memory Collective. She is also the Creator and Host of the podcast, Archives & Things. Melissa holds a Master of Information Studies from McGill University. She received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History, with a minor in Sociology, from Carleton University.