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Thank you to all of our excellent candidates for standing in the 2025 Independent Archivists election. Please take some time to review their candidate statements and get to know them so you can make an informed choice.
You will be voting for:
Chair (2 year commitment, 1 year as Chair, 1 year as Immediate Past Chair)
Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect (3 year commitment, 1 year as Vice-Chair, 1 year as Chair, 1 year as Immediate Past Chair)
1 Member-At-Large, Steering Committee (3 year commitment)
1 Member-At-Large, Steering Committee (1 year commitment)
Ballots will be managed by SAA staff through Survey Monkey; keep an eye on your inbox for when the ballot opens!
Alan H. Stein (he/him)
Independent Media Archivist, Media Burn Archive
Al Stein is Past Chair of the SAA Oral History Section and OHA Education Committee. He is a regular contributor to Oral History Review (the peer-review journal of the OHA) and Preparing the Next Generation of Oral Historians: An Anthology of Oral History Education (2007). He recently co-authored Oral History, Folklore and Katrina with Dr. Gene B. Preuss for the Routledge Press anthology- There Is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster: Race, Class and Hurricane Katrina. That essay received the OHA Best Article Award in 2010, available at: http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/
Stein is also the recipient of the SAA Spotlight Award in 2007 for his efforts to promote greater public awareness of the role of archivists and their role in cultural preservation, especially during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He has presented at numerous conferences, and interviewed William J. Maher (Past-President of SAA) for the SAA Oral History Section Project, directed by Lauren Kata. Stein is concurrently serving as a member of the SAA/IA Steering Committee and The Oral History Association Diversity Committee, 2024-2025.
The following candidate is running for the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect (or Co-chair) position:
Martha Diaz (She/Her)
Executive Director, Hip-Hop Education Center | Independent Archivist and Curator
Bio:
Martha Diaz (MD) is an award-winning community organizer, media producer,
archivist, curator, educator, and founder of the non-profit organization Hip-Hop
Education Center. For over 30 years, she has worked at the intersection of
media-making, cultural preservation, education innovation, and social
entrepreneurship.
Through exhibitions and the publication of research reports, books, and curricula,
MD has chronicled and preserved Hip-Hop’s cultural memory and historical value.
She founded the acclaimed Hip-Hop Odyssey (H2O) International Film Festival—the
first of its kind—and was invited to curate the first Hip-Hop film series presented by
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has also served as guest
curator at the Museum of the Moving Image and The Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture.
A graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study and the Tisch School’s
Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program, MD has led archival projects
with Parkwood Entertainment (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), the Tupac Shakur Estate,
the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, The Hip Hop Museum, and The Paley Center
for Media, among others.
Her fellowships include the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and
Innovation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the A’Lelia
Bundles Community Scholar at Columbia University, the Nasir Jones Fellowship at
Harvard University, and the MacArthur Civic Media Fellowship at USC Annenberg
Innovation Lab. She has served as a Visiting Scholar at Virginia Union University and
has taught at both New York University and Virginia State University.
Candidate Statement:
It has been a pleasure to serve on the Independent Archivist Steering Committee
for the past year and a half. During this time, I’ve helped expand our network by fostering partnerships and developing programming in collaboration with The
Alliance for Media Arts + Culture’s Arts2Work initiative. I’ve also actively worked to
advocate for and connect a diverse community of independent archivists.
I am now seeking to serve as Vice-Chair to further strengthen our collective voice
and advance the committee’s mission. I’m excited about the opportunity to help
shape a more inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable future for our field.
The following candidates are running for the section steering committee for their respective terms:
Rachel McLaughlin
Archivist, Winthrop Group
Bio:
Rachel serves as an archivist in North Carolina. Prior to working with The Winthrop Group, she spent the previous 6 years working in public education as a high school English Teacher and high school librarian. Her experience in archives includes description work, research reference requests, and teaching using archives/special collections. She has volunteered in the archives of The Mordecai House in Raleigh, NC and The North Carolina State Archives. She has also spent a year at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site working part-time as a tour guide and archive intern. She has a passion for North Carolina History and public history.
Candidate Statement:
As one of the members-at-large for the Independent Archivist Section of SAA, I want to assist in selecting appropriate programs. I believe that relevant webinars and workshops provide a huge benefit to our section. Additionally, I want to assist in the organization of the administrative efforts such as planning and creating agendas, and annual meetings. I believe that my own organization experience can be useful to the leadership team. Overall, I want to volunteer my time to this section to keep it engaging and active.
India Mallard (She/Her)
Project Archivist, Hip-Hop Education Center | Independent Cultural Archivist and Curator
Bio:
India Mallard (pronounced In-dee-uh Mal-erd) is a vibrant cultural archivist, an aspiring Hip-Hop appraiser, and a multimedia storyteller based in the dynamic state of Maryland, United States. Growing up in both the diverse Tri-State area and the culturally rich Southern United States, she boasts a distinctive cultural perspective that is a compelling mosaic of varied influences. Ms. Mallard is proud to be an alumna of Bowie State University, the oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland. There, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts, with a specialized focus on Digital Cinema and Time-Based Media.
Passionately committed to her craft, she was one of only three scholars to complete a minor in Hip-Hop Studies and Visual Culture, honing her skills and knowledge under the mentorship of the legendary MC Sha-Rock, celebrated as Hip-Hop’s first female MC. Ms. Mallard is also the visionary founder and operator of Soulful Haze, LLC, a multidisciplinary enterprise designed to bridge generational gaps within Black Culture. Through her work, she ardently promotes equity in music and art communities, offering invaluable research and archival services. Her innovative project, Basquiat’s Boombox, alongside her efforts in organizing engaging symposia, vividly exemplifies this mission.
During her leisure time, Ms. Mallard finds joy in the exhilarating art of crate digging at her favorite record store and immersing herself in the eclectic atmosphere of local bookstores. She dedicates herself to conducting thorough research and penning insightful essays that delve into the performing arts within the African diaspora, with a particular emphasis on the ever-evolving realms of film and Hip-Hop culture. Her professional affiliations reflect her commitment to her field, including memberships in Women in Film, the Playwrights’ Center, the Association of Moving Image Archivists, the Hip-Hop Education Center, and the National Society of
Leadership and Success (NSLS). Currently, Ms. Mallard is advancing her education by pursuing a master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, specializing in School Librarianship and Archives and Digital Curation. Simultaneously, she is diligently working to realize her diverse and ambitious professional aspirations.
Motivated by a deep sense of purpose and a profound love for her heritage, India is cultivating a dynamic career at the vital intersection of storytelling, education, and cultural preservation.
Through her work, she honors the rich history and traditions of her community, transforming this respect for the past into impactful narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. By sharing these stories, she not only educates others about her culture but also empowers all communities to embrace their identity. This committed approach serves as a powerful catalyst for shaping a more just and vibrant future, fostering understanding and appreciation across different cultures and generations.
Candidate Statement:
As a cultural archivist and a graduate student in library and information science, I possess a profound appreciation for history, enhanced by a contemporary and innovative perspective informed by my personal experiences and generational insights.
My background is rooted in a proud lineage of educators and historians who have, in various capacities, preserved knowledge and nurtured the narratives of their communities. This heritage has significantly shaped my belief that archives function not merely as static repositories but as dynamic vessels of memory that uphold culture, foster connections, and ensure continuity across generations. I perceive archival work as a fundamentally human endeavor that necessitates care, curiosity, and a commitment to meaningful engagement.
While my work engages with diverse cultures and communities, my archival focus predominantly centers on the global Black diaspora. This encompasses African Americans—descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the United States—along with Afro-Caribbean communities, Afro-Latin Americans, Black Canadians, Afro-Arabs, and historically underrepresented groups such as the Siddis of South Asia, Afro-Iranians, and Afro-Turks. Each of these communities possesses a distinct legacy shaped by the transatlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades, colonialism, and cultural resilience. As a member of Generation Z, I offer a perspective that is uniquely attuned to the evolving archival landscape. My insights, grounded in both academic rigor and lived experiences, promise to be valuable to the Society of American Archivists as it seeks to grow and adapt.
If elected as a Member At-Large, I will advocate for emerging professionals, advance broader and more inclusive definitions of archival labor, and contribute to the evolution of the Society as a dynamic, collaborative, and equity-driven organization. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring my creativity, empathy, and collaborative spirit to this role, with the aim of shaping an archival future that genuinely reflects the rich diversity and complexity of the communities we serve.