Archivists play an important role in history. They help preserve, record, categorize, and digitize key historical moments or artifacts. Without them most of history would be lost as technology advances and time progresses. As Thomas Cauvin points out in his writing, ”Archivists examine how the document connects to people, how it reflects the values of its historical context, and how its meaning may have changed over time. In other words, archivists determine to what extent the document enriches the general knowledge of the period.” Items like slave ledgers could be lost and descendants would have no way of searching their family history or discovering whomever they could be related to. Cauvin presents the importance of archiving the past and why it is so important to so important to future generations in his writing. There is an all too familiar saying “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” this epithet holds to today’s society. For instance, the current political climate is reminiscent of mid-1930s Germany and how certain actions led to a war that claimed millions upon millions of lives. Because of the work of archivists, we know approximately how many lives were subjected to death in extermination camps and the many atrocities that were committed during that time. We as people should take a step back and thoroughly examine history not repeat actions as such and not modify history to make ourselves feel at ease with what was done to others.
Books in a stack surrounding a vintage desk North Brother Island photo taken by Steven Heller
The Illusion of Neutrality
Dena Miles
In Sam Winn’s article “The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives,” a strong argument is presented regarding the inherent biases that affect the work of archivists. Winn contends that achieving true neutrality is not only unrealistic but also a diversion from archivists’ ethical responsibilities in preserving histories. She states, “The scholar may swear to his neutrality on the job, but whether he be physicist, historian, or archivist, his work will tend… to maintain the existing social order by perpetuating its values” (Sam Winn, 2017). This acknowledgment of biased archival practices that often go unexamined shows how these biases, shaped by individual backgrounds and societal norms, can lead to the unintentional erasure of marginalized voices.
Winn emphasizes the need for archivists to actively “reprogram internal bias” to include diverse narratives, arguing that historical narratives are constructed rather than naturally occurring (Sam Winn, 2017). This perspective raises important questions about the everyday practices of archivists and the language they use. For instance, here at PVAMU, our school’s historical beginnings are often watered down to suppress further the complex disrespect our campus has faced since its inception. By failing to confront personal and institutional biases, archivists risk perpetuating exclusive descriptions that deny these groups the recognition they deserve.
The article “Archives Are Not Neutral” reiterates this sentiment by emphasizing that archives should reflect the complexities of their communities, advocating for the inclusion of multiple voices in historical records. “The Hubris of Neutrality in Archives” compelled me to reassess the role of archivists in shaping historical narratives. To move forward, it is crucial that we embrace the responsibility to acknowledge biases and actively work towards more inclusive practices. By doing so, archivists can create a more prosperous, more diverse historical record that honors all voices, reinvigorating public history’s role in society.
This picture represents an archivist placing history in libraries that will be accessible to students. (University of Warwick, Melissa Prior)
What is an archivist?
An archivist is a qualified professional who is responsible for managing and organizing records and materials based on historical, cultural, and institutional values.(Ashikuzzaman, 2024). They ensure that historical information is stored properly so they are accessible to generations to come. Information includes artifacts arranging and cataloging collections and ensuring each item is documented properly. With the help of archivists, historians are able to properly receive information that will be able to benefit their research. Normally a bachelor of science degree in history library science and archival studies can start a career of being an archivist,
Preserving History
Archivists preserve history by maintaining documents, photos oral history, and digital materials. The way archivists preserve history is by ensuring these materials are properly documented by holding conversations and making sure they have proper storage conditions to keep materials for future generations. Archivists communicate with institutions, organizations, and different individuals. The decision process that determines what should be archived is very crucial and tedious because it will determine the legacy and the history that will be preserved for future generations to come. They began observing the item’s cultural, historical research, and administrative value. Then they began observing whether or not the it has a historical significance or cultural significance.
Performing History
Performing history allows these historical sites to be displayed. Archivists host public programs, and exhibits, and help guide researchers’ narratives as they continue to discover history. With the help of performing history, allows history to come to life with the help of the things that have been archived. Things like museums and documentaries allow history to be publicized in multiple different ways.
Producing History.
Although archivists do not write history they continue to further the growth of history for historians and researchers. Archivists play a major role in the production process because they have to go through what should be kept. They also have to make sure to categorize the materials to make sure they will be available for research by historians. All of their background work helps further the research and knowledge so public historians can help execute their plans for their research that will continue to benefit the world of history.
An archivist is a person/historian who keeps track of historical records and files and allows the public to access these records. In a post by Sam Winn, she said, “We as archivists are individual practitioners called upon to distill the historic record through the inescapable lens of our personal worldviews”(Sam Winn). Archivists are supposed to be trusted individuals who are honest regarding historical records. Some people would change or alter the information, but an archivist’s mission is supposed to relay the truth to different groups of people.
An unidentified man standing next to the book stacks [Photograph by Unknown photographer, 2021]
An Archivists at work
Effects on History
Archivists play an important role in our history. They are the ones who are supposed to gather and keep the information safe and share it with the public. If archivists fail to keep the truth of the history or misplace/overlook a document, it could cause many problems in society. If information is lost or changedhistorywill not be truthful, and you are left wondering again. “Michelle Caswell draws our attentionto the phenomenon of “symbolic annihilation‘ in archives, the process by which archivists contribute to the omission or erasure of historically marginalized groups in the archives (Sam Winn).” This is happening right now in the archives. information is being tampered with, and history is not being withheld. Also, archivists have to display/perform history to the public, this means that the history they receive, they have to find a way to reach their audience and share the information in a way that’s going to be heard. ‘If archivists have any hope of contributing to a radically inclusive historical record, we must make a fundamental change (Sam Winn).” Archivists can’t lose sight of the people/society groups, you must have diverse information and be able to relay that to inclusive groups. Archivists are part of history’s foundation. Without archivists, much history would be lost, so their diligence in keeping information, etc, is allowing our history to continue to grow and not get lost over the decades.
TakeAway
In my opinion having an Archivist is needed for so many reasons. Over the years, when we lacked an Archivist, we had to scrape up the information and really have to uncover the truth, but now that our documents are being kept safe, we canexpand our history without any worries.As time goes on, we can still look back fifty years ago and still gather history about outcultural,familyetc. I feel if we didn’thave these people to keep our record, all the history we’ve learned so far would’ve been made up or a false narrative becausethereisn’t any evidence/truth behind anything. The role of an archivist is a big one; without them, we wouldn’t be knowledgeable on many topics.
Credits
Winn, Sam.”The Hurbis Of Neutrality in Archives.”Apr 24, 2017.
What is shared authority? How does it impact historical research, scholarship, and exhibition?
Shared authority in historical research involves the collaboration between professional historians and the public which includes the community and non-professionals. This pushes the production of historical knowledge by recognizing that everyone has valuable perspectives an experiences to contribute to public history. For example, in Andrew Hurley’s Scholars in the Asphalt Jungle “engineering students at Howard University mingled with homeless populations in Washington, DC and put their technical skills to use inventing an inflatable sleeping bag.” The work performed by students contributed to their community. The use of activism through understanding what people in their community lacked by focusing on real life experiences they were able to use their resources to assist those who need it most.
In historical research, shared authority can lead to more inclusive and diverse narratives as it includes voices that are often marginalized or overlooked in traditional scholarship. It is important that professional historians build a strong and trusting relationship with people of diverse communities in order to receive more detailed and in-depth historical findings. “Within diverse neighborhoods, fear of opening or aggravating social wounds may migrate against serious historical investigation.” With all of the historical and present day hardships that urban residents face it is imperative that professional historians make communities feel at ease in order for them to have a richer, more nuanced understanding of history.
A march for the PV 19 [Photograph by Frank Jackson, 1991]
For exhibitions, shared authority can transform the way museums and historical institutions engage with their audiences. By involving the community members in their processing, exhibitions can become more relevant and relatable to the public, leading to more community and engagement.
Shared authority, by definition, is a collaborative approach that involves sharing power and responsibility with the public. Many times, we see attempts to control the history of the people by people who are ashamed and want to “move past” what happened and leave it in the past rather than learn from it. This by far is not allowing history to be shared but instead is modifying it to make certain parties feel at ease.
Frank Jackson and Jayla Allen in his office at PVAMU
You either hate or love class group projects because they will tank your grade or pull up your grade which you need for said class. Group projects for the most part are random and you may get someone who isn’t pulling their weight or someone taking charge of every aspect of the project. Sometimes by the grace of God, everyone does their part, and you score an A! This is called shared authority. Just like those group projects, historians, scholars, and institutions come together to interpret, or display history.
Benefits of Shared Authority
shared authority have many benefits to historical research, impact on scholarship, and exhibition presentation.
Historical Research:
* Diverse Perspectives
*Oral Histories & Community Input
*Ethical Research Practices
Impact on Scholarship:
*Decentralization of Expertise
*Interdisciplinary Approaches
*Challenging Traditional Narratives
Impact on Exhibition (e.g., Museums, Public History Projects)
*Collaborative Curation
*Engagement & Accessibility
*Ethical Representation:
Why Community Matters?
The community should have an impact on how their history is portrayed, if not the effects could be negative such as mistrust of historians and institutions, false narratives about the community, and distorted truths. In their article, A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry, Katherine Corbett and Dick Miller write of an exhibit that did not have shared authority and the consequence of that. In Meet Me at the Fair: Memory, History, and the 1904 World’s Fair, the Missouri Historical Society aimed to challenge romanticized memories of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. A key focus was the Philippine Village Exhibit, which originally portrayed Filipinos through a colonial, radicalized lens to justify American imperialism. The exhibit highlighted how these portrayals perpetuated harmful stereotypes, such as the myth of Igorot villagers being ‘’dog eaters’’ a narrative rooted in racist propaganda rather than cultural reality.However, the curators faced tensions with the local Filipino-American community. Some community members, particularly those of Visayan descent, found the representation offensive, as it risked reinforcing negative stereotypes.
Geneva Reed-Veal, left, mother of Sandra Bland, embraces her daughter, Shante Needham during a ceremony renaming University Boulevard to Sandra Bland Parkway on Friday, April 15, 2016, in Prairie View Tx. The street was renamed near the location of Bland’s arrest. Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )1
In 2015, Sandra Bland was found in a Waller County Jail cell apparently she hung herself, despite suspicion from the community, following a global outrage. Sandra Bland was an alumni to the town’s prestigious Hbcu, Prairie View A&M University. Bland would be commenced with a marker and a public memorial in her honor, and a street name change to Sandra Bland Parkway. After speaking with Counselman, Malcolm Jackson of Prairie View TX, about the restoration of the Sandra Bland public memorial, I was told that the owner of the plot where the public memorial sits, was not happy about the name change. She and other multi-generational residents of Prairie View felt that other people in the community were more deserving or had a more significant impact on the small town. The mistake was failure to connect with the community, giving them a role, and listening to their opinions on something that represents them.
The next time you have a group presentation remember the benefits and importance of shared authority to successfully depict your group’s subject presentation.
Corbett, Katharine T., and Howard S. Miller. A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry. The Public Historian 28, no. 1 (2006):
This picture shows students sitting in a museum learning about history that was able to get out by shared authority.
What is shared authority?
The process of shared authority is often used throughout public history. The process of shared authority allows historians to collaborate and share their facts to make public history the best it can be. Shared authority not only allows historians to connect with one another but it also allows historians to connect just with the community. This helps both the historian and the citizen because it allows the historian to share history while also getting opinions from the community or maybe even more facts that can benefit the historian’s research.
Why is shared authority important?
Over the years historians have realized that not many institutions have the funds to do history projects fully. So historian Orsello has come to the realization that most museums and historical sites are all collaborative projects that have flourished into spreading communities on different topics of history. A lack of collaboration across sectors hampers every institution’s efforts at effecting social change (Orsello, 121). The shared authority also plays an important role in public history because it gives all historians the opportunity to help better one another. Instead of having someone who is head in charge, it can become a collaborative event that acknowledges everyone’s ideas.
How is the shared authority used?
In today’s world shared authority is used more commonly used than what we probably realize. One example is museums. Museums play a huge part in history but in order for them to get the correct information out to the public you’re going to have to collaborate with other people. As far as an African American museum in order for certain parts of history to be broken down you will have to speak to descendants of ancestors who actually lived through that particular time period. This is also beneficial because it allows people the opportunity to use their voice on topics that people usually brush over.
Shared Authority refers to the practice of distributing decisions making power and the right to interpret information across multiple individuals or groups rather than solely relying on a single person or authority figure. Shared authority is seen as an important step forward for public historians and the process of their work. Shared authority allows historians to create an interactive space with a public audience. [1]
This picture displays a group of students engaging in a real world scenario displaying shared authority . [Photograph Rylo’s Mom , 2025]
Main Body
Shared authority refers to a collaborative approach to historical research and interpretation in which the perspectives of multiple individuals, including scholars, community members, and other resources are acknowledged and integrated into the process. Another approach rather than using the traditional methods where authority relies solely on academic experts or institutions, shared authority emphasizes the inclusion of diverse voices, especially those historically marginalized or excluded from dominant narratives. Here we notice the impact that shared authority can have on historical events and how its discretion is seen as irrelevant in certain situations. In a historical context, shared authority allows for a more in-depth and inclusive understanding of the past. Researchers work alongside community members, historians, activists, and local experts incorporating personal experiences. Within scholarship, shared authority redefines the power dynamics between academic researchers and other knowledge holders. This may involve partnerships with local communities, cultural groups, or grassroots organizations. These partnerships are seen as reciprocal and emphasize mutual respect, with each party contributing their own insights. This approach can lead to new methods and theoretical frameworks, encouraging interdisciplinary work that challenges the dominant narratives typically shaped by institutions of power. The influence of shared authority has prompted many of my colleague peers to add their own knowledge , here are soon of their blog post below .
Shared authority happens when there is a group effort to collaborate on a project. Shared authority typically happens through interviews. Interviews allow for the interviewee to tell their stories to help the interviewer put the pieces together. In the article, A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry, Corbett and Miller state, “Interviewer and interviewee share ownership of oral history because they share agency in its creation (20).”
The
Impact
Shared authority helps historians dive deeper into their research. For example, Katharine Corbett researched photos from a labor strike in 1933. She located a few of the people who were in the photographs and interviewed them. Corbett indicates she searched for the workers in hopes to “put names to some of the faces (15).” Corbett identified some of the workers and allowed them to tell their stories. Ultimately, she brought life back into the photos with the truth and real stories connected to them.
A shared Inquiry
into Shared Inquiry
This article explains in-depth shared inquiry, reflective practice, and shared authority. Her main point about shared authority is getting people’s stories out. However, she explains it’s not simple to have interviews. She notes that some interviewees do not cooperate, and some are dishonest. Despite the negative attributes of shared authority, this does not change the fact that oral history is essential. As mentioned before, she wanted to add oral history to the photos from the labor strike. She revisits this story in the end to emphasize its importance. Kathy states, “…most projects… have too little inquiry or authority during the formative stages… limiting our opportunities to counterpoint our history with our public’s varied pasts (36).” This quote further supports her thoughts about oral history. She is implying that history has many hidden stories. Without these stories, people’s truths are trapped within photos or artifacts.
Corbett, Katharine T., and Howard S. Miller. “A Shared Inquiry into Shared Inquiry.” The Public Historian 28, no. 1 (2006): 15–38. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2006.28.1.15.