African American Youth Archivists: A Critical Youth-Led Participatory Heritage and Cultural Preservation Research Project

• In Event: Engagement of Black Students and Families: Youth, Community, and School Leaders

Abstract

The current socio-political context in Philadelphia is being shaped by gentrification and residential displacement. These changes in one prominent Black community has made the preservation of its local high school’s history and legacy an urgent endeavor. The African American Youth Archivists Project is a youth-led participatory heritage project with 10 students. Over the last two years, our research team has been collecting oral histories and preserving the school’s many archives and artifacts. Using traditional mediums of preservation and artifact restoration, as well as contemporary digital technologies, we are creating a school archive and repository. Ultimately, our project seeks to inspire a new generation of youth researchers and leaders dedicated to the preservation of Black culture and social justice.

Authors

• Ayana Allen-Handy, Drexel University

• Alysha Meloche, Drexel University

• Karena Alane Escalante, Drexel University

• Jahyonna Brown, Community College of Philadelphia

• Ayanna Frazier, Community College of Philadelphia