Telling Our Own Story: The Untapped Potential of African-American Obituaries as Primary Source Documents
A Session by Veronica Britto and LISA-JANE ERWIN
About this Session
African-American obituaries are full of rich, vibrant stories which tell the history of our people. We must engage our institutions and communities in the collection, organization, and dissemination of the information and history contained within our obituaries. Librarians in general, and African-American librarians in particular, must respond to the need to record and preserve our stories as told through our own eyes. This workshop will address the validity and power of storytelling through obituary writing. We will explore the history of African-American obituary writing and how its persistence defies the forced assimilation of African Americans into mainstream American culture.
About The Speakers
Manager, Homebound & Senior Services, Free Library of Philadelphia
During library school, Lisa developed a passion for archiving which she was able to convert into an internship on Black Church archiving. That led to her overall interest in primary source documenting of African American religious and secular life. Her enthusiasm around the value of African American obituaries flows from that experience.