Community History-Making at Forefront of Archives Event

History isn't bound by the walls of a university, library, or museum. It can be created, examined, and rewritten by the individuals and communities who have too often been misrepresented or excluded from institutional narratives.

That was the central message of the "Our Memory, Our Stories: Reimagining Histories of a Multicultural Los Angeles" event on Sept. 17, a collaboration between the CSUDH Gerth Archives & Special Collections, Black Resource Center, and Latinx Resource Center.

Students heard from a panel of Black and Latinx scholars and curators about how they can contribute to that crucial work of sharing unknown histories. The panel included Rose Mitchell, former librarian of the L.A. County Public Library and Black Resource Center; Tyree Boyd-Pates, associate curator of the Autry Museum of the American West; and Michelle Vázquez Ruiz, a UCLA Chicana/o & Central American Studies postdoctoral fellow.

"Hosting an event like this at CSUDH is meaningful because our students are Los Angeles. They are woven into the fabric of this city, yet many may grow up feeling disconnected from its broader stories," said Amalia Medina Castañeda, university archivist and event organizer. "I teach hundreds of predominantly BIPOC students at CSUDH each year, and reflect on how education-both in K-12 and higher education-fails to confront the racial and socioeconomic forces that influence why so many of our families live, struggle, and aspire in a place like L.A.

"This is where archives play a vital role. As an archivist, I am dedicated to showing students that their stories aren't just included-they are the story. Our shared multicultural experiences define the narrative."

Panelists discussed their own career trajectories, as well as the limitations of existing historical collections, libraries, and museums. They encouraged students to think critically about who is telling what stories, to learn from the recurring patterns of history, and to speak to elders and family members about their lived experiences.

"Embody what your ancestors could have been if they were free," Boyd-Pates said. "I fundamentally believe I'm actualizing the dreams of those ancestors."

Watch the event recording below: