Equity in the Archives

*Likely the YMI football team, circa 1910. Digital copy donated by Andrea Clark, K995-5.*

Black Asheville History Project

The Black Asheville History Project (BAHP) began in 2019 as a racial equity campaign spearheaded by Buncombe County Special Collections in coordination with the Buncombe County Community Engagement Team and other community partners to build a more representative and diverse collection of historical materials related to African Americans in Buncombe County and other communities in Western North Carolina. The BAHP is incorporated annually into BCSC’s goals through collection, preservation, access, outreach, and program activities.

Buncombe County Special Collections is one of our region’s only archives housed in a public library. By engaging the public in our work, we draw attention to the important function of a free and accessible community archive and give our patrons the skills and information they need to help the archive grow and succeed.

Looking for collections or other resources for local Black history? Check out this research guide!

East End Children, 1968. Photo by Andrea Clark, ACC52-22

YMI Band, circa 1908. Gift of Molly Must, A432-8

Annette Pearson Cotton scrapbook, page 98. Gift of Cliff Cotton, MS403.001A

Stephens-Lee High School basketball team, 1951, K690-5

Mission and Goals (2024)

GOAL: Buncombe County Special Collections (BCSC) will work together with community partners to broaden availability of access to archival materials that help researchers and community members share stories about our community’s diverse past and present.

Initiative 1: Buncombe County Special Collections will increase outreach to historically excluded communities including, Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and others to both raise awareness of the archive and its services. Special Collections staff will work closely with the BC CAPE team to perform outreach activities that encourage members of historically excluded communities to engage with the Buncombe County Special Collections through programming and library use.

Action: Special Collections and CAPE will identify stakeholder organizations and individuals
Action: BCSC and CAPE will communicate new and ongoing local history initiatives to stakeholders on an ongoing basis
Action: BCSC and CAPE will seek feedback from stakeholders about local history programs and initiatives

Initiative 2: Buncombe County Special Collections will facilitate community-led archiving programs and opportunities such as the Oral History Backpack Loan Program, “History Harvest” events, and the development of a free-to-use “Self-Preservation Station” to increase the diversity of materials in the collection.

Action: BCSC will implement the Oral History Backpack Loan Program and the “Self-Preservation Station” and promote it to the public
Action: BCSC will provide opportunities for diverse communities to contribute to the archive via an ongoing series of “History Harvest” events.
Action: BCSC staff will work together with organizations and individuals to provide basic training in preservation and archiving skills.

Target: At least 25% of all newly accessioned materials will be directly related to diverse/historically excluded people or groups (HEG). HEGs are defined as any diversity group that has historically (or presently) been denied access to equal representation in historical narratives. These diversity groups include but are not limited to race, sexual or gender orientation, differing ability, and class.

Collaborating partners: Buncombe County CAPE, YMI Cultural Center, Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, 828 Digital Archives for Historical Equity.

*Scanning table at the Southside United Neighborhood Association reunion, October 21, 2023*.

Achievements

Ongoing collaborations: YMI Cultural Center, Southside United Neighborhood Association, Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Asheville

Outreach: Center for Participatory Change (2024), Southside United Neighborhood Association (2023), Black Montford and Stumptown Neighborhood Association (2023)

Exhibitions: DIYabled/Disability Pride Month (July 2024), Building Bridges of Asheville (June-August 2024), WNC LGBTQ+ Archive/Blue Ridge Pride (June 2024), James Vester Miller Mural (Fall 2023)

Oral history/personal archiving backpack circulations: 11 (2024 YTD), 40 (2023)

Selected past programs

Selected collections

African American archival collections

Andrea Clark Photograph Collection, ACC
Johnny Baxter Collection, MS094
Cannon Family Collection, MS147
Stumptown Neighborhood Reunion Collection, MS154
Links, Incorporated Records, MS300
Bennie Mae Scott Davis Family Photographs, MS301
Daphne Young Collection, MS356
Virginia Bosman Collection, MS357
Southside Community History Project Collection, MS362 (includes African American Communities oral histories, MS362.002; and Stephens-Lee High School alumni oral histories, MS362.004)
Buncombe County and WNC slave ads, 1844-1863, MS366
Cissy Dendy Family Collection, MS363
John R. Hayes Collection, MS369
African American High School Yearbook Collection, MS376
Violet Hill Cemetery Collection, MS390
Black Asheville History Harvest Collection, MS403 (includes Clifford W. Cotton II scrapbooks and photographs, MS403.001A; Tim Means family photographs, MS403.001B; Sophie Dixon family and church photographs, MS403.002A; Bobbette Mays family photographs, MS403.002C; and more)
Asheville African American Heritage Survey Oral History Interview Collection, MS406
Mae Bell Burton Scrapbook, MS408
Asheville Colored Hospital Records, MS410
James Edward Fleming Sr. Family Collection, MS431
Inita Johnson Pullin Collection on Stephens-Lee High School, MS445
Building Bridges of Asheville Records, MS449

LGBTQ+ archival collections

Asheville Gay Community History Project, MS326
Southern Appalachian Lesbian/Gay Alliance (SALGA) Records, MS280
Lisa Morphew Collection on Asheville/Buncombe County LGBTQ Community, MS281
Michael Harney Papers on WNC AIDS Project (WNCAP)/Needle Exchange Program of Asheville (NEPA), MS370
Community Connections newspaper (access via DigitalNC)

Many more items pertinent to historically excluded groups can be found within general collections. Try searching our database for terms such as African Americans, LGBTQ+, People with disabilities, etc.

A large collection of further resources about African American history in Asheville can be found here: Community Reparations Commission Zotero Library.

Interested in donating a collection? Get in touch with us!