The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Community Archives Initiative, a new program designed to expand GHS archival collections with support from community members around Georgia. This initiative was made possible in part by funding from the Congressional Directed Spending Budget, secured with the support of Senator Jon Ossoff, and is administered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC). The $168,000 NHPRC grant award will support GHS’s targeted efforts in ensuring its archival collections reflect the full breadth of Georgia’s history with a focus on groups and individuals currently underrepresented in the GHS collection. GHS will actively engage in documenting the lives, contributions, and experiences of a wide variety of individuals and communities that reflect the geographic, ethnic, political, economic, and religious diversity of modern Georgia.
As part of this project, the Community Archives Initiative will invite project partners from across Georgia to participate in preserving their own histories. First, community members will have opportunities to visit the GHS Research Center in Savannah, Georgia, and work alongside professional archivists, assisting with improving the descriptions of collection materials that reflect Georgia’s many diverse communities, in turn making those collections more searchable and accessible to researchers.
Additionally, GHS will partner with identified groups, schools, and organizations to offer workshops on photo preservation, family genealogy, and digitization. These events will educate community members on preserving their own stories for future generations. Community members who wish to contribute their personal items to the GHS archives will have the option to donate family materials for preservation and researcher access, in perpetuity, through inclusion in the statewide collection of the Georgia Historical Society. Community partnerships have already been established in Savannah, Augusta, Darien, and Rome, Georgia, offering local access points for participants.
“The GHS archival collection is the foundation for programming, educational resources, scholarly articles, and other historical resources created and shared by the Georgia Historical Society. The collection is essential to understanding not just our past, but also the present,” said GHS President and CEO W. Todd Groce. “To truly understand modern Georgia and to effectively chart a course into the future, those building blocks of understanding—the materials within our statewide collection—must accurately reflect the full story of our state. We are excited to undertake this project to ensure that the documentary legacy of Georgia’s people is secure and accessible for generations of researchers yet to come.”
“I was happy to participate in this excellent outreach project to incorporate the Savannah Civil Rights Movement in Georgia history,” said Vaughnette Goode-Walker, Director of the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum in Savannah. “It gives the community an opportunity to share their perspective of the Savannah community within the context of Georgia history.” As part of the program, community volunteers have already begun working with GHS staff on selected collections.
The community’s effort is invaluable to ensuring GHS’s collection fully reflects the people and experiences that make up the rich tapestry of Georgia’s history. The Community Archives Initiative will culminate in a public showcase event at the GHS Research Center, featuring newly donated archival materials from throughout Georgia. For more details on how you can be a part of the Community Archives Initiative, please contact LaPortia Mosley at lmosley@georgiahistory.com.