J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award: Yvonne Lewis Holley

Yvonne Lewis Holley, North Carolina State Representative at North Carolina General Assembly, is a 2018 recipient of the J. Franklin Jameson Archival Advocacy Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award honors an individual, institution, or organization that promotes greater public awareness, appreciation, or support of archival activities or programs.

For the past decade, Holley has championed archives and family history in her work with the University of North Carolina’s Special Collections, translating the value of archives to regional audiences and beyond. As a state representative, Holley has given generously of her time and talents to support a variety of initiatives and to cultivate important collections documenting African American life in Raleigh, North Carolina. An active supporter of the African American Families Initiative, she appeared in a moving online video on the Initiative’s website, in which she tells the story of her own family history that is now documented in the archives and encourages viewers that their family histories are also worth preserving.

“Holley is an ideal spokesperson to extend the reach of individual programs to acquire, preserve, and make available archival collections about African American families,” noted the Awards Committee. “Her advocacy offers a national model for how state representatives can advocate for the important use of archives.”