OHC cosponsors plenary on “Memory Work for Black Lives”

The second biennial plenary, “Memory Work for Black Lives,” will be held April 12–13, 2024 at the White Stag Commons at the UO in Portland, with a virtual component for off-site attendees. This event will build upon the ongoing collaborations between UO Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives and the human rights organization, Don’t Shoot Portland. The plenary will center the voices of Black activists and artists as well as librarians, archivists, and UO students and faculty to discuss the power of Black archival memory. 

woman with dark brown skin with dark hair pulled back smiling wearing a navy blue top
Tracy Drake
woman with medium brown skin dark hair pulled back wearing a print dress and orange cardigan
Holly Smith

Speakers will present on their experiences working with community-driven archives. Invited panelists include Tracy Drake, the director of Special Collections at Reed College and a founding member of the Blacktivist collective, a group of trained archivists “who prioritize Black cultural heritage preservation and memory work.” Holly Smith, the College Archivist at Spelman College, will present on her community-driven preservation work. Ishaq Shamsud-Din, Portland community leader and son of artist Isaka Shamsud-Din, will speak of his partnership with Don’t Shoot Portland to preserve his father’s archive, as well as his work with the community to preserve the collective memory.  

The plenary is cosponsored by the OHC’s Endowment for Public Outreach in the Art, Sciences, and Humanities. For more information go to memorywork.uoregon.edu/programming/plenary-2024