The Digital PV Panther Project
About Us
Our mission at the Digital PV Panther Project is to eliminate historical silences through digital storytelling and prevent the erasure of African American history through historic preservation at PVAMU.
By processing, digitizing, and broadly disseminating primary historical resources at PVAMU, the Digital PV Panther Project will help future generations reach a consensus about the past and reflect on our quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society.
The Digital PV Panther Project reminds Americans that not only do the basic goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness endure over time, but so do the challenges of redressing the legacy of slavery and segregation and strengthening our democratic institutions.
Our Impact
Since the summer of 2022, the Digital PV Panther Project has hired more than two dozen student research assistants and purchased an estimated $100,000 in equipment to spur digitization preservation initiatives.
300+ reel-to-reel audio tapes of speeches, lectures, and events in the 70s
86" & 66" Inch Touchscreen Displays and State-of-the-Art Digital Exhibition Software
$40,000+ of high quality scanning equipment
Our Impact
Magnetometer Study of Wyatt Chapel
On March 31, 2024, archaeologists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson returned to PVAMU to conduct the magnetometer study of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.
Finding Unmarked Graves at PVAMU
On March 12 and 13, 2024, Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc. invited ground penetrating radar specialists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson to visit the campus of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and conduct several geophysical examinations of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.
Students now, Alumni forever!
We have lost so much in the absence of the PVAMU student newspaper, and we want to amplify the voices and creative spirit of students at the oldest public HBCU in Texas. To any student interested in giving back to the university, you can start by submitting an article, short story, or poem for consideration for publication on our website.
Our Progress
In 2024, we received another $50,000 grant from TSLAC to build upon our success. Since 2021, we closed a $447,000 grant from National Endowment for the Humanities and a $25,000 grant from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission, processed numerous manuscript collections, digitized over 200 analog recordings from the 1970s and 80s, and published a host of digital exhibitions on our website.
31+
Collections Processed
The Texas State Library & Archives Commission (TSLAC) funded the processing of more than 31 manuscript collections through TexTreasures Grant
31+
Finding Aids Created
The National Endowment for the Humanities funded the student workers who created more than 31 finding aids, which serve as a model for all future processing projects!
2 New Courses
Digital Storytelling
In Fall 2023, the Digital PV Panther Project worked with Dr. Bequita Pegram and Dr. Malachi Crawford to develop a new History program minor in Digital Storytelling as well as 2 new courses: HIST 3330: Intro to Digital Storytelling and HIST 3331: Podcasting Oral History.
Our Progress
Preserving & Promoting Place
Working together on campus, across divisions, and in local communities to design projects that bridge the digital divide to promote a better understanding of the Black experience
Community Engagement
Read the Research Blog!
Meet the Team!
Black Digital Humanities
We recognize the importance of elevating the HBCU experience through historic preservation. By collaborating to achieve common goals, we hope to re-build the sense of community lost during the pandemic. By promoting the institutional history of PVAMU, the Digital PV Panther Project gives students and other stakeholders a sense of purpose about promoting the Black experience!
