Image of Black youth laughing and posing at the beach. circa 1930s. Photo courtesy of Renata Cherlise.

By Karla Mendez

Renata Cherlise explores the memories, kinship, joy and everyday moments in Black experiences in her book, Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life.

An archive is defined as a “collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.” Archival records are a way to preserve and, at times, resuscitate history. They can be viewed as an attempt to ensure that stories and people aren’t forgotten, something which is particularly pertinent to the histories of Black people. Utilizing these records, we are able guarantee that the narrative surrounding our experiences are told by us. They allow us to counter the all-too-common images of pain and trauma and instead celebrate and share not only quotidian moments but also those of joy and triumph.

As Harmeet Kaur writes, archives are a way to fill in the gaps, but only 3% of professionals identify as Black. That has left a wide absence within archival work focused on Black history. This void works to perpetuate the antiquated belief that Black communities have no history to document or preserve. It also puts current archives in danger due to a lack of financial resources and incentives from institutions to conserve them.

The preservation of the archival collection produced by Black American historian and archivist William Henry Dorsey in the 19th century, in which Dorsey compiled scrapbooks detailing Black emigration schemes; centenarians who lived through enslavement; and an 1881 North Carolina convention of Black Republicans, is now in danger. Although his collections are housed in Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, a historically Black university, a dearth in resources made it difficult to house or maintain the records. A deal was brokered with Pennsylvania State University, and the predominantly White institution has physically housed the collection but has not taken any action to expand and ensure conservation.

Over the last few years many independent archivists have taken up the mantle and begun the painstaking work of archiving. Social media platforms, particularly Instagram, has become an avenue through which to share these images, and amongst these accounts is Black Archives, founded and created by Renata Cherlise.

The story of Black Archives began in 2015 as an examination of “the nuance of Black life: alive and ever-vibrant to both the everyday and iconic – providing insight and inspiration to those seeking to understand the legacies that preceded their own.” Inspired by Cherlise’s own family’s love and passion for record keeping through home movies and photographs, Black Archives collects the memories of Black families and communities throughout generations. Seven years later, that dedication and endearment Cherlise has shown in the curation and archiving of images via Instagram and various projects with LinkNYC, Tonika Johnson, Borderless Studio, and Exposure for Concerned Black Photographers, and Torch Sportswear, has translated to the publication of Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life.

In honor of the recent publication of Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life, Cherlise offers responses to my interview questions via email on the importance of Black archival records, kinship, and the process of constructing and preserving a collective memory.

Karla Mendez (KM): For you, why do Black archives matter? What was the catalyst for founding Black Archives?

Renata Cherlise (RC): As Black people growing up and living in Black homes, our family photo albums are usually our first interactions with archives. And through these collections of photos, ephemera, and home videos, we come to learn more about where we come from and our stories by witnessing the lives of the people within our lineage.

There’s something beautiful about seeing Black folks exist and just be. That matters.

My own experiences with our family archival collections were seeds planted early on, and as I got older, I leaned more into archival materials and storytelling through a personal curiosity and a desire to learn more about the broader visual story of the Black experience.

KM: What was the process like in bringing together the images and histories featured in the Black Archives book?

RC: I spent a lot of time with all the images. A few years ago, I issued the first call for submissions to be considered for the book and received so many beautiful glimpses at life. Unfortunately, I couldn’t include all the photos, but with the inclusion of my own family photos, the photos from our community, and those sourced from other institutional repositories, everything felt so familiar.

It reminded me of home, and so the ideas of home became the framework for the book - the foundation, the interiors, and the exteriors and how we live and take up space through each of these themes.

KM: How has your family and history inspired you to construct an archive?

RC: I was the next in line. I am following in the footsteps of my grandmother, my auntie, and parents, who all did their part in documenting our family’s history. It’s an honor to live in this moment and to be able to contribute to something that will live beyond my time on this earth.

KM: Can you take us through some of your processes in constructing an archive?

(RC): My methods are pretty simple. I use the resources that I have access to and move from there. For existing physical objects:

1. Create a digital file of the materials by scanning and digitizing the photos, ephemera, and home movies

2. Find a home for the digital record - iCloud and external hard drive (and periodically back those up)

1. Categorize the files by dates and keywords

2. Share the iCloud links with family members to access and add to

3. Store the original materials for safekeeping

For digital files that already exist, I move them into their designated homes and print some of those favorite photos for picture frames, and I am now beginning to return to photo albums.

KM: What are some of your favorite archives?

RC: So many to choose from. Vernacular photographs - I love when people share their family photos. There’s a series of collections by Black photographers held at the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center r at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) that documents Black Californian life that’s wonderful to look through.

The moving images from the H. Lee Waters Film Collection at Duke University is another favorite as it captures both black and white and color glimpses of life in the 1930s and 1940s. The archival collections at the Kenan Research Center and AUC Woodruff Library in Atlanta are also really incredible.

To purchase Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life (Penguin Random House, 2023), visit here.

For more information about Black Archives and Renata Cherlise, please visit here.

You can follow Black Archives on Instagram and Twitter.

About the author: Karla Mendez (she/her) is the Lead Columnist of Black Feminist Histories and Movement for Black Women Radicals blog, Voices in Movement. She is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Central Florida, pursuing a major in Interdisciplinary Studies and a double minor in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. She holds a certificate in Feminism and Social Justice from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has just completed an internship with the United Nations Association. In addition to being a student, she is a freelance writer. Karla is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, she recognizes the importance of intersectionality in feminism, and as such, her research and writing focus on the intersection of race, gender, class, and politics.

With her writing and research, she wants to introduce people to historical figures who paved the way for change while bringing awareness to how discrimination and oppression can affect people differently. She will continue to explore her research as she begins graduate school next year to pursue a Master’s in Women’s Studies and American Studies. When she isn’t studying or reading for school, she enjoys reading for fun, watching old movies, and spending time with her family. You can follow her on Instagram.

Memorializing Black Existence and History: A Conversation with Renata Cherlise, Founder of Black Archives