By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper
AFRO Publisher and CEO
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my work.”
These words, found in the second chapter of the biblical book of James (the 20th book of the New Testament) encourage followers of Christ to demonstrate their faith and their beliefs by what they do and not just by what they say.
The purpose of this commentary is not to exegete a biblical text or to be “preachy,” but to emphasize what many already know– actions speak louder than words.
It’s one thing to say you believe in eradicating hunger, and another to hold a food drive, volunteer at a food bank, or contribute to a hungry family. The same goes for those who say they are passionate about healthcare for everyone or equal funding for education— but never contact their legislators or write to their local paper urging, others to get behind your cause. Of course, these are not the only ways to support a cause, and there are enough worthwhile causes locally, nationally and internationally. In fact, everyone does not (nor should they) embrace the same cause or approach their activism the same way. Some demonstrate. Some write. Some contribute money. And, yes, some even pray without ceasing.
In this edition of the AFRO, we salute individuals and organizations who are passionate about what they do for the betterment of society – sometimes as a part of their paid employment and other times as volunteers for causes that they care about. We also say kudos to the Afro Charities’ team – the nonprofit partner to the AFRO who cares for our 131-year-old archives (afrocharities.org).
These talented, highly qualified and dedicated professionals are what the Society of American Archivists calls “activist archivists,” a term given to those who “strive to document the under-documented aspects of society and to support political and social causes through that work.”
Below are their very brief bios (in alphabetical order), as well as their answers to my question:
“Why do you do the work that you do?”
Bacarri Byrd is a communication professional and cultural enthusiast who specializes in exploring the intersection of popular culture, history, rhetoric and media. She approaches life with an eclectic mindset that integrates narratives and tangible objects to amplify diverse perspectives and is dedicated to bringing artifacts to life by uncovering their captivating stories.
“I do this work because it portrays the underrepresented story of Black people in creative and intentional ways.”
- Bacarri Byrd
Jasmine Clarke is an artist, educator and archivist. Her passion for archiving was ignited when she embarked on a personal journey to honor her grandmother, curating and preserving a collection of family images, videos, documents and oral histories.
Her dedication to safeguarding the narratives of Black individuals shines through her work, emphasizing the importance of storytelling from the genuine perspective of the community. Driven by a profound belief in empowerment, Clarke is committed to ensuring Black voices actively contribute to the remembrance of both personal and collective stories.
Through Afro Charities, she channels this dedication by preserving and preparing these stories to be accessible to the community in innovative ways.
“Why do I do this work? To empower Black people to be active participants in the remembrance of our personal and collective stories and histories.”
- Jasmine Clarke
Megan McShea is an archivist who has been working with Afro Charities on planning, assessing, digitizing and processing the AFRO American Newspapers’ Archives since 2021.
Megan began her archives career as a researcher in the news photo morgue of The Bettmann Archive in New York City. She was a contract archivist for the Billie Holiday Project for Liberation Arts working with archivists at four historic Black churches of Old West Baltimore and has continued working on audiovisual archives doing digital preservation with the Human Studies Film Archives at the National Museum of Natural History.
“I do this work because I want as many people as possible to experience the uniquely powerful connection to my city’s Black past and present that the archives offer.”
- Megan McShea
Deyane Moses is an Army veteran, curator, educator and multidisciplinary creative. She is deeply passionate about Black History, archives, and cutting-edge design. In 2019, she exposed the racist history of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with her archive, The Maryland Institute Black Archive (MIBA), which included an exhibition and demonstration, “Take Back the Steps.” Moses’ initiatives sparked a nationwide conversation on institutional racism. In 2020, Deyane founded Blackives, empowering and providing valuable research, archival expertise, programming and innovative design solutions to Black communities. Moses currently serves as curator of the AFRO Archives, which is in the care of Afro Charities.
“I do this work to enlighten future generations about the richness of our remarkable history.”
- Deyane Moses
Oyinda Omoloja is a Black studies scholar passionate about the richness and nuances of Black stories. As Afro Charities’ Archives Assistant, Omoloja fields research requests from a diverse audience of researchers from documentary producers and authors, to individuals looking to preserve their family history.
Omoloja’s work is entrenched in making the AFRO’s expansive archives accessible. Prior to Afro Charities, Omoloja managed the Voices Lifted Oral History Project at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, where she collected and preserved the lived experiences of Black Marylanders. Her multifaceted exposures with history continuously inspire and encourage her commitment to the work.
“I do this work to honor the nuances and richness of Black experiences.”
- Oyinda Omoloja
Savannah Wood is an artist and the executive director of Afro Charities. She is leading the charge to increase access to the 131-year-old AFRO American Newspapers’ extensive archives. In this role, she has shepherded the organization through a period of historic growth, initiated new programming and attracted support from national funders including the Mellon Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and The Ruth Foundation. Like the four generations of ancestors before her, she lives and works in Baltimore, Md., sharing and preserving Black stories.
“I do this work to honor my ancestors, and to connect people with their history.”
- Savannah Wood
Bilphena Decontee Yahwon is an artist, archivist and transformative justice practitioner born in Suakoko, Bong County, Liberia. Her work is concerned with the uses of individual and collective memory: How we inherit it, how we preserve it and how we pass it down.
Yahwon is the steward of her online library, The Womanist Reader, a collective member of interdisciplinary publishing initiative Press, and a founding member of New Generation Scholars Intergenerational Institute. Yahwon is currently a processing fellow at Afro Charities and a 2024 community fellow for the Diaspora Solidarities Lab (DSL). She launched Archive Liberia in 2020 as an invitation and site for recovering, holding and organizing the collective memory of Liberia.
“I do this work because our collective memory is essential to cultural survival.”
- Bilphena Decontee Yahwon
These young professionals are clear about why they do what they do. Hopefully their work, as well as the work of those featured in this edition, will inspire all of us to either become activists or increase our activism for “faith without works is dead.”
Special thanks to our editors, writers, photographers, advertising, production, social media and administrative team members for a job well done!
The post A time to act: Celebrating the activists who impact the future by honoring the past appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
