Project STAND: A Collaborative Initiative to Highlight Acts of Social Justice thru Archives
Lae’l Hughes-Watkins, Kent State University Libraries
Project STAND (STudent Activism Now Documented) is a collaborative effort starting with various Ohio universities to create an online clearinghouse where academic institutions can provide researchers access to historical and archival documentation on the development and ongoing occurrences of student dissent. Project STAND will focus on the digital and analog primary sources that document the activities of student groups that represent the concerns of historically marginalized communities (e.g African American, Latinx, LGBTQ, religious minorities, disabled), while also highlighting the work of others (e.g., faculty, staff, and administrators) who advocate for or support the interests of those communities. The presentation will provide insight into the catalyst for this project, it’s long-term goals/objectives, and how this initiative will help participating repositories feel empowered and engaged in discourse regarding equity and social justice within their local communities and at the national level.
The presentation will also discuss efforts to address ethical concerns and the impact of social media in archiving as it relates to student organizations and their political/social actions. The presentation and efforts of Project STAND is timely with projects such as Documenting the Now and various efforts to capture student activism, past and present.
Keywords: student activism, collaboration, social injustice, ethics
Tags: Special Collections & Archives, Diversity