Subcommittee Charges and Members

This year, the goal for the Diversity Committee is to be more inclusive of the broader SAA membership in soliciting volunteers for different initiatives. These collaborative projects will serve as a way to keep the broader archival community aware of the different goals and objectives of the Diversity Committee. Below is a list of the sub-committees for each of the projects that were outlined in the original call for volunteers, including chairs of the particular subcommittees and volunteers. Those in charge of the subcommittees will be in contact with their committee members to discuss the next step.

Case  Studies Subcommittee

In collaboration with the Publications Board, the Diversity Committee will participate in the Case Studies Series. The goal of the Diversity Committee is to solicit and gather case studies that illustrate diversity in the archival record and/or unique efforts to collect and document a variety of individuals, groups, and organizations. These case studies will assist in furthering the goals and objectives consistent with SAA’s Strategic Plan. The Diversity Committee will select case studies that can be used as resources and references and make these available online on SAA’s website.

1. Tywanna Whorley (chair)
2. Robin Katz
3. Terry Baxter 
4. Bev Allen
5. Lael Hughes-Watkins (volunteer)

Diversity Toolkit Subcommittee

This committee will oversee the development of the SAA Diversity Toolkit. The Diversity Toolkit will focus on the recruitment of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. In 2006, SAA conducted a survey of the archival profession. The survey revealed that there were less than 5 % of African Americans in the profession and even less for other racial and ethnic groups. In 2009, SAA was given permission to adopt the Diversity Toolkit from the Rare Book and Manuscript Section. SAA Diversity Committee will use their toolkit as a template to create a toolkit that will provide the necessary tools to recruit a diverse group for the archival profession.

1. Christina Thompson (chair)
2. Michelle Ganz (volunteer)
3. Lucinda Manning
4. Robin Katz
5. Erin Lawrimore (volunteer)
6. Helen Wong Smith (volunteer)

Internship Program Subcommittee

In collaboration with the SAA committees, sections, roundtables, and the President-Elect, the Diversity Committee will develop a sustainable internship program for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups  in order to engage and increase their level of participation in the Society of American Archivist. The internship is a one year term where interns participate on projects and write a report of their experience. The President-Elect will assign the individuals to a group. One of the goals of this program is to encourage the interns to officially apply for openings on committees, sections, and roundtables.

1. Tywanna Whorley (chair)
2. Stephanie Bayless (volunteer)
3. Melisa Torres (volunteer)
4. Aaisha Haykal (volunteer)
5. Chad Conrady (volunteer)
6. Lisa Calahan (volunteer)
7. Lauren Lowery (volunteer)

HBCU Revised Institute Subcommittee

The HBCU Institute was a comprehensive archives training program for staff of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It was hosted at Spelman College and funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Institute was conceived by Brenda Banks, past SAA president. Archivists and paraprofessionals participated in three one-week classroom sessions over a year, were provide with  internship opportunities, and paired with mentors. This committee will investigate the possibility of creating a similar institute during the 2016 SAA meeting in Atlanta, as well as possibly expanding the Institute to encompass staff at institutions responsible for archival collections of underrepresented communities.

1. Holly Smith (chair)
2. Andrea Jackson (volunteer)
3. Amber Moore (volunteer)
4. Derek Mosley (volunteer)

Diversity Forum Subcommittee

The Diversity Forum highlights topics and issues relevant to archival professions working in collections and institutions focusing on communities underrepresented in the archival record. In the past the forum has consisted typically of  a panel discussion featuring a broad array of speakers from academics to practitioners, but is not limited to this structure, This committee will oversee the planning and organizing of the Diversity Forum for the 2015 SAA Cleveland meeting.

1. Dan Dilandro (chair)
2. Sasha Griffin
3. Marika Cifor (volunteer)
4. Holly Smith
5. Tywanna Whorley
6. Camille Tyndall Watson (volunteer)