J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award: Adrena Ifill Blagburn

Adrena Ifill Blagburn is the 2015 recipient of the J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award. The award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.

Since founding the cultural heritage and multimedia production firm Ifill/DoubleBack Global Group (www.doublebackproductions.com) in 2002, Ifill Blagburn has been a leading advocate for the preservation of archival records documenting African American Congressional history. As a result of her efforts to educate black lawmakers about record retention policies, Ifill Blagburn has increased public awareness on the importance of not only preserving these records, but of the benefits of utilizing them for educational and historic programs. As a consultant and director of the Avoice Project (www.avoiceonline.org), an online library of digitized artifacts documenting the legislative and political contributions of African Americans serving in Congress, Ifill Blagburn grew the project to include nine online exhibits, a collection of lesson units designed to promote the use of primary sources in the classroom, and more than ten thousand digitized assets.

“[Ifill Blagburn] possess a unique combination of passion, vision, and perseverance, which makes her an inspiring colleague, teacher, and advocate,” one supporter wrote.

Established in 1989, the award is named for the noted American historian J. Franklin Jameson.