Excavating Erasure: The Curious Case of Carcerality in the Archives

• In Event: Excavating the Past, Present, and Future Through Archival Frames That Elevate Black, Indigenous, and Queer Perspectives for Radical Hope

Abstract

The paper argues that archives act as accessories to the carceral state, perpetuating social and political injustices by erasing significant contributions of Black women, particularly abolitionists and educators, such as Sojourner Truth, Ona Judge Staines, Lulu Jacobs and Mary Ellen Pleasant. Utilizing Black feminist epistemologies and digital humanities, the piece emphasizes the importance of excavation as a reclamation process of curriculum (re)memory. The paper addresses education researchers and practitioners in K-12 schools and higher education through three pillars of an archival excavation toolkit: curiosity, courage, and community. The paper advocates for legal accountability of archival negligence, reconstructing historical and contemporary narratives and ensuring the visibility and valor of Black women's legacies in curriculum discourse and praxis.

Author

• Cortnie Belser, Graduate Center - CUNY