The Living Black Archive Continues

to Live for Future Generations

Watch the full talk here

En Foco and The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) hosted an engaging online discussion on February 23, which honored and celebrated the Living Black Archive and it's significance for future generations. The conversation between leading community archivists focused on examining, preserving, and sustaining the legacy and future of Black archives.

The Black History Month event, which drew some 70 attendees to the virtual room, also paid a special tribute to Hiram Maristany (1945-2022), a renowned Afro-Nuyorican photographer, documentarian, and activist revered for capturing the multifaceted lives of Puerto Ricans in East Harlem. The homage to Maristany, who dedicated over 60 years of his life to documenting Puerto Ricans in East Harlem and, most notably, the Young Lords Party, highlighted his love for photography and community and the impact of his legacy for generations to come.

The discussion was moderated by En Foco’s Curator-at-Large, Tarisse Iriarte, and Melody Capote (Executive Director CCCADI) who is a long-time friend of the late Maristany, she was joined by Chayanne Marcano (Independent Researcher), and Stephanie Alvarado (Archivist/Memory worker/Activist).

Our esteemed panelists were in conversation, detailing their archival practice and approach to historical archiving, preservation, and digitization. Their work amplifies how the Black archive aims to propel communities forward during a time of rapid cultural displacement. Panelists discussed how communities throughout New York City are turning to archives as a tool for activism and memorializing relationships. The conversation focused on how black archives bring together communities from across the diaspora who share similar and distinct histories of struggle, joy and radical imagination