ABOUT | BLOG | RESOURCES | STATEMENTS

Blog Posts

See all blog posts tagged BLM or Social Justice.

Statements

• SOA Council Statement on Racial Inequality and Black Lives Matter, June 3, 2020
• The Society of Ohio Archivists condemns violence against Asian American and Pacific Island people. Blog post | PDF , April 8, 2021.

Resources

Resources from the SOA Social Justice and Black Lives Matter Task Force. Updated August 2022.

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About

Contact the Task Force Chair Devhra BennettJones.

Members:
Devhra BennettJones (2020-, chair 2021-2023 )
Christine Schmid Engels, Cincinnati Museum Center (2021-)
Madeleine Fix, Nationwide Insurance (2020- )
Sule Holder, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum – Library & Archives (2022-)
Penelope Shumaker, State Library of Ohio (2020- )
Nicole Sutton, Columbus Metropolitan Library (2020- )
Marissa Tiroly, Kent State University (2022-)

Charge

The Task Force on Social Justice and Black Lives Matter is responsible for identifying, promoting, developing, and educating on antiracist and social justice resources, efforts, and actions for SOA Council, Committees, and Membership. The Task Force will seek to fulfill the following goals, as well as develop more as are needed:

1. Identify organizations who are and have been doing antiracist and/or social justice work nationally, regionally, and in Ohio – with an emphasis on Ohio archives, libraries, and other allied professions
2. Identify resources to educate Council and membership on antiracism and social justice – with an emphasis on application to archival and information work
3. Identify and develop sustainable ways to continually educate Council and membership on antiracism and social justice
4. Identify and develop ways SOA can make use of its platform/s to responsibly and ethically give voice to historically marginalized voices
5. Identify and/or develop ways SOA can support antiracist and social justice initiatives, efforts, and advocacy and support historically marginalized communities
6. Identify and develop sustainable ways that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can be incorporated into the work of SOA Council and its Committees

Principles

Additionally, the Task Force will be guided by the following principles as it seeks to complete its mission:

1. All Black Lives Matter
2. Center blackness and historically marginalized voices
3. Be cognizant of privilege
4. Be mindful of the origins of stories
5. Incorporate / take into account the voices and opinions of BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color)
6. Focus on being the center of the community and not the community center
7. Create a safe and equitable space for BIPOC
8. To the extent possible, provide compensation for outside work / knowledge shared

Membership

The Task Force will be made up of the following:

1. Chair (1) – appointed by Council who will serve a term of 2 years or until the Task Force is disbanded by Council. Chair term can be renewed once, if Council approves.
2. Council Liaison (1) – selected by Council.
3. Task Force Members (approximately 6) – volunteers who step forward from general membership and who are approved by the Chair. Non-SOA members from outside professions will be eligible to join upon approval of Council.

Potential Actions

1. New Scholarships (BIPOC and Community Archivists)
2. Community Archives resource toolkit – our own or access to
3. Intentional actions to identifying, inviting, and incorporating community archivists
   1. And paying for their time/knowledge, whenever possible–i.e. (virtual) workshop or talk

Last Updated on January 24, 2023 by janet_carleton