NAP
Documenting and Preserving the Global Black Experience
Photo by Andre Rize, 2018
PROJECTS
Season Two's Andwele shares a 1926 photograph in Episode 17 featuring his great-grandmother on the occasion of her 60th birthday. Click the audio above to hear how Andwele’s curiosity led him to learn about the people in this photograph.
In the Telling is a podcast that delves into the rich and diverse stories of the Black family experience. Through conversations with our guests, we explore tracing family histories through records, the significance of both blood and chosen families, and the power of personal testimonials. These episodes also connect family narratives to broader communities and historical events, offering insights into conducting research in archival institutions and engaging with family lore. Join us as we uncover and celebrate these powerful stories, all within the unique framework of our podcast.
NAP is thrilled to announce that Season Four of In the Telling will debut on our new YouTube channel! While the podcast will still be available on all major platforms, we’re also bringing seasons one through three to YouTube, making it easier than ever to revisit past episodes. Stay tuned for more updates!
The NAP Scholarship is an annual initiative dedicated to supporting students and independent archivists of African descent in their professional and academic journeys. The scholarship provides funding that can be used to attend the Society of American Archivists (SAA) conference, a premier event for archival professionals, or to support meaningful archival projects that contribute to preserving and amplifying underrepresented histories.
Applications are open from January 1st to March 31st each year, offering an opportunity for emerging and seasoned archivists alike to gain resources and visibility for their work.
Last year’s recipient, Dartricia Rollins, shared her inspiring experience—read more about her journey here.
2024 NAP Scholarship Awardee, Dartricia Rollins
Archival Community Hubs
NAP is proud to announce the development of the Archival Community Hubs Program, an initiative aimed at establishing a sustainable network of archival support within local Black communities. This program, scheduled to launch in the fall of 2025, is designed to enhance archival knowledge and skills, equipping communities with the tools, expertise, and resources to safeguard their histories and cultural legacies.
Through hands-on training and collaborative engagement, participants will gain the expertise needed to preserve and share their unique stories, ensuring they are accessible to future generations. The program also fosters connections between communities and professional archivists, creating a dynamic and supportive ecosystem for ongoing archival work.
We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their generous support, which has made this transformative program possible. Stay tuned for more updates.
Since its founding in 2017, the Nomadic Archivists Project (NAP) has partnered with various individuals, community groups, academic leaders, artists, scholars, and institutions on a wide range of archival and grant-supported initiatives. Our approach to collaboration is rooted in providing tailored support that meets the unique needs of each project. By working closely with our partners, NAP helps ensure the successful preservation and amplification of Black histories, fostering meaningful archival work that reflects the priorities of the communities and organizations we serve.
NAP Press is a publishing platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and work of memory workers—archivists, librarians, oral historians, genealogists, bibliographers, filmmakers, and podcasters of African descent. Rooted in the rich tradition of storytelling, NAP Press seeks to preserve and celebrate global Black narratives, fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse experiences and histories of the African diaspora.
Forthcoming: The Evidence: Black Archivists Holding Memory, an anthology exploring the archival experience across the global Black world.
Black Podcasts Archives
With support from the Society of American Archivists Foundation (SAAF), NAP successfully preserved 17 groundbreaking podcasts, including Black Law Podcast, Black Man with a Gun Show, Black Minimalists, Cheers and Queers, and others. This unique archive was deposited at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, where it is accessible for research and contributes to ongoing dialogues and future scholarship about the Black experience.
Our Mission Statement
"Our core mission is to archive local histories from a grassroots perspective, centering the voices and experiences of Black communities around the world. NAP champions a philosophy of flexibility, believing that individuals and communities should chart their own paths in archiving their creative expressions, political movements, family legacies, and personal histories.
We emphasize individual and community agency, and NAP's approach is built on equitable partnerships that grow organically from the specific needs and desires of the communities we serve."
--Miranda Mims and Steven G. Fullwood, NAP Founders
NAP has been supported through the generosity of grant partners
