Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award: Zoe Hume

Zoe Hume, a PhD student in the Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation program at Florida State University, is the 2023 recipient of the Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award recognizes graduate students of color who, through scholastic achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of SAA.

Before pursuing her doctorate, Hume received both a bachelor of arts in English and a master of science in information from Florida State University. In addition to her academic achievements, she has held a number of professional roles in which she’s worked to create a more inclusive and comprehensive historical record. As an undergraduate student, she worked in an on-campus archives dedicated to World War II materials. As the Reparative and Inclusive Description Survey Scholar at the University of San Francisco (USF) Gleeson Library | Geschke Center, Hume developed recommendations to bring the library's descriptive practices into alignment with other antiracist initiatives at USF. In another role as a Buchanan Burnham Summer Scholar at the Newport Historical Society, she helped launch a database of enslaved, indentured, and manumitted populations in colonial Rhode Island. She rejoined the Newport Historical Society in 2023 as a Van Buren Research Fellow to work on its BIPOC biographies initiative. Hume hopes in her career "to break down the informational silos among libraries, archives, and museums so that all aspects of memory work and cultural heritage may learn from and teach one another."

Established in 1993, the award honors the late Dr. Harold T. Pinkett, who served with distinction during his long tenure at the National Archives and Records Administration and who was a Fellow of SAA.