The Black Memory Collective was founded by Archivist Melissa J. Nelson in 2023. The Collective was born out of her efforts to connect with Black people who create, work with, and care for Black archives in Canada. The Collective is a response to issues that are prevalent in the archival field. In Canada, about 1% of working archivists are Black. We often feel isolated, trying to navigate white spaces. The profession struggles to attract Black students for a few reasons — students do not see themselves represented in Archives and are not exposed to the possibilities of archival work.

While we have passed on this work generationally within spaces like our homes, we don’t always have the language and resources to create conditions of continuity. Alongside this, Black researchers face challenges in locating relevant archival materials. These issues are interconnected. The answer is community — our work should be collective.

The Black Memory Collective evolved from Melissa’s work on her podcast “Archives & Things.” Melissa found a diverse and vibrant community, but realized our networks were not interconnected. Melissa brought the founding members together as collaborators to dream of what this Collective can and should be. It was created to form a national network and build a community of practice around Black memory work.

The Black Memory Collective is part of a larger movement to reclaim, recognize, and celebrate Black cultural memory and imagine Black futures.