The Black Memory Collective is a community for Black archivists, memory workers, and researchers in Canada. We connect to preserve, remember, and imagine otherwise.
The story behind its creation dates back to 2020, when I graduated from McGill University with a Master of Information Studies. I felt compelled to seek community after witnessing a lack of diversity in my cohort. According to the 2021 census from Statistics Canada, Black people make up less than 1% of the total number of working archivists in Canada.
In 2022, I decided to launch my podcast, Archives & Things, as a way of connecting with Black people who create, work with, and care for Black archives in Canada. I discovered a vibrant and diverse community, but I often found my interviewees were unaware of each other’s work. I felt a deep need to bring people together.
I founded the Black Memory Collective in 2023 to create a network and build a community of practice around Black memory work. The founding members are based in locations across the country. I brought them together through my work on Archives & Things. This collective is part of a larger movement to reclaim, recognize, and celebrate Black memory and imagine Black futurities.
Want to get involved? Join us on LinkedIn or Instagram and register as a member with the following link.
