Africana Studies Archives Project
Africana Studies Archives Project
Angelica Williams will spend the next semester digging through archival materials to uncover the history of the Africana studies program at UT.
A junior English literature major, Williams has experience with preserving materials. In addition to a previous job with the McClung Museum, Williams works as a student library assistant for rare books in the UT Hodges Library.
DeLisa D. Hawkes, a new assistant professor of Africana studies, chose Williams for the assistantship and will oversee her work of processing and curating an exhibit as part of the 50+ years of Africana studies celebration this spring.
Williams has a unique opportunity to review rare photographs – including one of Nina Simone, presumably on the UT campus. She will go through documents and other items, such as minutes from the East Tennessee Committee Against Racism and Apartheid.
“In the future, I would like to enter the field of rare books librarianship,” Williams said. “This assistantship will help to further equip me with the skills necessary to preserve materials for widespread use, to recognize areas of interest within rare materials that are going unattended to, and to utilize various research methods upon entering my prospective job field.”