Mining the Archive
We are fortunate and delighted to have Lewis Watts exhibition launch our “Archives as Muse: A Harlem Storytelling Project” website.
For Mining the Archives, Watts traveled around the country to visit other African American archives which include the African American Library in Oakland, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, and Tulane University in New Orleans. This culminated in stunning and unique portraits that highlight the impact of these objects/books on the history of African Americans in the US. Whether it is cartoons, advertisements, or books degrading African Americans, or early publications by African American writers, the artwork feels prescient – anticipating the cultural dialogue in this historical moment. Watts’ investigation of the archives is ongoing.
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Professor Gordon Thompson has a laudable career spanning nearly 24 years of teaching and service at City College, Louisiana State University, and Stanford University. As director of the Black Studies Program, he had a record of administrative leadership, including planning, budgeting for and managing an academic program. As creator, principal investigator, and director of the RAP-SI project of the Black Male Initiative, he demonstrated the ability to successfully organize a staff and build a service-oriented mentoring program. As director of the Langston Hughes Festival Committee, he has been in continuous service to the Committee since 1990. As professor of African American and American literature in the English Department he has demonstrated a strong publication record with scholarly expertise in the area of the African American narrative praxis. Lastly, as a scholar, he has several peer-reviewed publications, is a frequent participant at national and international conferences and is the editor/co-editor of several books.
Emily Raboteau
Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés is the director of the Black Studies Program at The City College of New York-CUNY. A graduate of Yale and Vanderbi
Sydney Valerio believes we are all a living archive of the stories and places our bodies navigate. As a creative, she is fueled by her professional work as an educator and community cultural worker to create spaces and experiences for all parts of the community to engage with and access. 
