Diversity Award

Purpose and Criteria for Selection:

Established in 2011 and intended to address SAA’s strategic priority on diversity, this award recognizes an individual, group, or institution for outstanding contributions in advancing diversity within the archives profession, SAA, or the archival record. Nominees will have demonstrated significant achievement in the form of activism, education, outreach, publication, service, or other initiatives in the archives field. The award is given based on the long-term impact on improving and promoting diversity as defined in the SAA Statement on Diversity and Inclusion.

Eligibility:

Open to an individual, group, or organization. To encourage SAA member participation, preference may be given to SAA individual and/or institutional members.

Nomination Requirements:

Two letters of support. Nominations will be accepted from any individual, group, or institution. 

Sponsor and Funding:

Society of American Archivists Foundation.

Prize

Up to two awards may be given each year. The prize will include a certificate and one complimentary registration per awardee to the SAA Annual Meeting occurring in the year in which the award is presented.

First Awarded:

2012

Selection Committee:

The Diversity Award Subcommittee of the SAA Awards Committee is composed of four members of the Society of American Archivists (one of whom shall be the current chair of the Diversity Committee) and one of the co-chairs of the Awards Committee (ex officio). Of the three remaining members, one shall be appointed each year by the SAA President-elect to serve a three-year term.  The senior member of the subcommittee in years of service shall serve as its chair and shall present the award during the Awards Ceremony at the SAA Annual Meeting.

Submission Deadline and Nomination Form:

Click here to preview the nomination form and/or to start a nomination. All nominations must be submitted by February 28 of each year. 

Diversity Award Recipients:

2024: Christopher E. Haley, director of research, education, and outreach at the Maryland State Archives and founder of the Legacy Slavery Program in Maryland

2023: Gregory Hinton, author, historian, and creator of the Out West program series

2022: Julie Varee, community outreach archivist at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska

2021: Judy Tyrus, cofounder and CEO of ChromaDiverse, Inc.

2020:   Rebecca Hankins

2019:   Puerto Rico Citizenship Archives Project 

2018:    Community Archivist Program at the Austin History Center AND Maya from the Margins Archives Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2017:   Texas Disability History Collection at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries AND Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota Libraries

2016:   SAA Latin American and Cultural Heritage Archives Roundtable webinar series, “Desmantelando Fronteras/Breaking Down Borders”

2015:  The Shorefront Legacy Center AND Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, University of Florida

2014:  Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Program, University of Houston AND   Jennifer O'Neal, University of Oregon Libraries

2013:  Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University AND Joan Krizack, Archives Consultant AND Karen Underhill, Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library

2012: The Chicano Studies Research Center