Over the years, I have been reflecting on the implications of Black people not being represented in and not engaging with the archives. Archives shape what we remember and how we see ourselves. My work has been focused on re-reading the meaning of the past and reworking archival practices to create the future we want to see, now. I use imagination work in the archival realm as a creative and innovative method to approach the limitations of the archives.
In my work as an Archivist, I noticed that many within my community have the same thoughts and concerns about the archives. Here are a few key issues:
Archives are cold repositories and colonial institutions. They were not built for us.
Archives have “dead” records or records about our death. Archives are not living and breathing.
Slavery was an interruption of our history. We are disconnected from our past.
The past is negative and painful, so Archives are sites of mourning.
Despite these limitations, I wanted to find a way to speak to the silences and absences. I wanted to bring the archives of Black lives forward — an archival intervention, if you will, to refuse invisibility. I want to emphasize this quote from my podcast, Archives & Things. In an episode, I said: “The archives are sites of power — but they are also sites of imagination.” Imagination work offers a way forward. The archival silences are loud but the power and potential of Black archives are louder. As an Archivist at the Archives of Ontario, I developed two creative workshops to expand their reparative practice. I situate these workshops as imagination work that surfaces our ancestral connections and allow for healing through exploration, discovery, and remembrance.
The first workshop I developed is ‘Visual Journaling with Black Archives.’ This workshop is facilitated with Anthony Gebrehiwot, a Black photographer, artist, and community educator. In the workshop description, I wrote: “How can we reimagine the archive? Join archivist Melissa J. Nelson and artist Anthony Gebrehiwot as they explore the potential of Black archival collections for Black artistic creation. Come view original archival materials and develop your own artistic interpretations through visual journaling. Design a visual journal page with words, sketches, paint, or collage. Art supplies are provided to help you bring your creative ideas to life.”
Then I started to imagine, “what are the dreams that emerge from the archives?” This led me to my second workshop ‘Dreaming with Archives: A Writing Workshop.’ In the workshop description, I wrote: “Black Dreams. What does it mean to dream while Black? How can we understand the dreams of our ancestors? How can we carry them with us? Black people have always dreamed in refusal of the colonial imagination. The past, present, and future are intertwined. Drawing from archival materials, archivist Melissa J. Nelson will guide participants in a creative writing workshop to connect with those who came before us and imagine a future for those yet to be born. Come view original archival materials, access ancestral memories, and dream of Black futurity. No writing experience is necessary – only your imagination.” The intention with these workshops is to radically invite Black creatives into the space. I wanted to develop workshops for this audience because they have the power to move and inspire Black communities in ways archives cannot. The workshops are open to the public and available for anyone to attend.
These are a few images from past sessions. We offered a total of 5 sessions so far. Each time, the workshops were fully booked within days. The workshops really resonated with people. A few participants referred to it as a “truly healing experience.” Participants bonded during the sessions and expressed that we created a safe(r) space. Several participants returned to the Archives of Ontario to use records in their creative projects.
Archives need to be spaces for our voices to tell our stories. Preserving and knowing our history allows us to move toward liberation. If Archives want to implement this work, they need to address practices that have invisibilized, objectified, and excluded Black people. Be open and honest about the colonial history of archives and the gaps and silences that remain. Create space for community perspectives. Collaborate with Black elders, creatives, educators, and leaders.
Through imagination work, we can create different opportunities for engaging with the past — because our imagination is infinite. Imagination can also be an instrument for rethinking archival practice.
I believe archives can be sites of possibility.
Header image is from ‘Visual Journaling with Black Archives.’ The participants explored the themes of Black joy, Black ordinariness, and Black love.
