What role do you see community building organizations like AMDC and LAAC playing in the future of the archival profession?

Organizations like AMDC and LAAC are vital to the growth and visibility of the profession, especially in communities that are unfamiliar with archives and archivists.  Giving the variety of grassroots groups, I think there are so many opportunities and possibilities for us to share and convey who we are, what we do, and why we do it. But the ways in which we accomplish that has to be engaging and meaningful. If possible, I’d like to create a similar organization or get a group of archivists together to do that type of work here in Chicago.

Previously, you were based in Washington D.C. and held positions in the Presidential Materials Division at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as well as the Office of Records Management at the White House. What sparked your interest in working with presidential materials?

At Simmons I took an archival access and use course where I wrote a paper on government recordkeeping practices. It was during my research that I became interested in presidential records. Little did I know that that assignment would come in quite handy. I was able to use much of what I learned and wrote about during the application and interview process for the National Archives.

What is your personal experience with the presidential materials? Have you ever felt emotionally or intellectually connected to anything you found in the collections?

Working with presidential materials has been an interesting experience for me.  I’m constantly either learning about or reliving moments in history. At the National Archives in DC, my colleagues and I processed over 4.000 photographs from the collection of Cheney vice presidential records in response to a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request. Some of the images released to the public were of meetings held in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) at the White House on September 11th. Seeing the distress on the face of the President, Vice President, and other senior officials reminded me of my own reaction that day.  I was sitting in music class when the attacks happened and the local news announced that Chicago was a potential target.  My high school was near an airport so naturally my classmates and I thought that at any moment something could also happen to us and our loved ones. We were terrified, but I can’t imagine what it was truly like for the survivors and family and friends of the victims.

Images from meetings held in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) at the White House on September 11th.

You currently work as an Archivist for the Barack Obama Presidential Library, located in Chicago. How did you manage the simultaneous balance of your professional and personal life as you transitioned from D.C. to Chicago? How did you keep yourself organized and how does it feel to be back home?

Once I found out that I’d been hired to work for the Library, I immediately began to prepare for my own transition. I’m somewhat of a procrastinator and as a Virgo I tend to suffer from self-imposed perfectionism. Everything has to be just right. So I created a number of professional and personal to-do lists, which really helped me stay focused and organized. I even made a bucket list of things I wanted to experience in DC before I left. Much of what I had to do I was able to accomplish with little to no hassle because I gave myself plenty of time to finish projects, declutter and pack up my belongings.  I lived in DC for over seven years and while I do miss certain aspects of living there I am enjoying Chicago. This is home and I’m glad to be back.

What current projects are you working on?

Well, I just started my three-year term on SAA Council and that’s keeping me fairly busy. We’ve had a number of issues come up recently that have needed immediate attention like the 2019 annual meeting in Austin, Texas.  I’m currently also on the Program Committee for the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC), which will be held in Chicago next year.  And I’m excited to be working with my awesome colleagues from across the region to put together a dynamic and engaging program experience. Other than that I’m building community with some local archivists and artists, and taking it easy.

Who/What inspires you to do the work that you do?

I draw a lot of my inspiration from my Simmons squad: Stacie Williams, Derek Mosley, Holly Smith, Christina Thompson Shutt, Melissa Gonzales and Micha Broadnax. It’s  been wonderful to witness how we have used our common experience to develop as professionals over the years. We are all thriving in spaces and areas that we never imagined for ourselves. And we’re equally invested in and genuinely respect each other’s definition of success and what that looks like. Having that level of support inspires me to do the work that I’m doing.

It is always inspiring to meet fellow archivists of color as we make up a small demographic of the archival field. How do you see the archives field evolving, especially in relation to inclusivity and diversity? What can we do to encourage other people of color to join the field?

There’s been some progress but not nearly enough. For far too long diversity and inclusion has been solely focused on recruitment. I’d like to see more emphasis on retention because it’s often ignored. And I think that’s because institutions really don’t know how to retain build and maintain diversity in the workplace and profession. To be honest, I don’t know how or if we can get people of color to join the field. But what we can do is support the ones that are here now. And also continue to create opportunities that allow archivists and allied professionals of color to coexist.  We’re all on a path and the struggle is real. So let’s support and encourage ourselves and each other along the way.

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