Mellon Grant Supports IRAAS and NAP Partnership
The Institute for Research in African American Studies-Columbia University (IRAAS) and the Nomadic Archivists Project (NAP) announced a significant grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge initiative to support a three-year project designed to expand NAP’s capacity to archive and preserve the global Black experience through community-driven archival projects.
Founded in 1993, IRAAS is a leading intellectual hub that bridges scholarship, teaching, and public engagement, especially in New York City’s vibrant Harlem community. NAP, an organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing collections related to Black history and culture since its inception in 2017, has collaborated with IRAAS to launch integrative work in archival development, preservation, and expanding archival literacy and access.
The preservation of Black history and culture is at a critical juncture.
Over the next three years, this grant will support the following key initiatives:
IRAAS Collaboration: To build greater awareness, capacity, and inspire critical engagement with archival practices by offering a robust array of opportunities, including courses, workshops, presentations, and conferences, ensuring that the value of preserving and interpreting historical materials is widely recognized and actively pursued.
Launching Archival Community Hubs Pilot Program: To establish a sustainable archival support network rooted in local communities who are interested in enhancing archival preservation and access within their communities.
Continued Production of NAP’s Monthly Podcast In The Telling: To continue to promote dialogue about the importance of telling our own family stories in Seasons 4 through 6.
Expanding NAP’s Archival Services: To increase support for Black communities across the U.S. and abroad, preserving endangered collections, and documenting important cultural legacies.
Dr. Jafari S. Allen, Director of IRAAS said, “IRAAS/AAADS is thrilled to partner with NAP to help expand and deepen their crucial mission to preserve, share, and celebrate Black cultures. We are thankful to the Mellon Foundation for making it possible for Miranda Mims and Steven G. Fullwood to be ‘in residence’ with us–exemplifying IRAAS/AAADS’ mission to advance Black Study, both inside and outside of academic institutions.”
This work addresses an urgent need. “The preservation of Black history and culture is at a critical juncture. Limited resources and awareness around archival building often place Black cultural heritage at risk,” explain the founders of NAP. “By working collaboratively with communities, we aim to support grassroots archival efforts, working with people to shape and safeguard their cultural legacies. This is essential to prevent the erasure of Black history and ensure its transmission to future generations.”
The Mellon Foundation’s support will enable NAP to respond to the growing demand for archival expertise in Black communities, prioritizing endangered collections and time-sensitive projects. This collaboration will serve as a model for future partnerships between archives, communities, and scholars, ensuring that the stories and histories of Black people continue to be preserved, celebrated, and shared.
For more information about the Nomadic Archivists Project, and its initiatives, visit: www.nomadicarchivistsproject.com.
Editor's note: A version of this article was originally published by Columbia's Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS)
