Archives & Things

30 | BONUS: Openings

Summary: It's the last episode of the Archives & Things podcast. In this bonus episode, I say goodbye to the last chapter of my journey and move forward into openings. I also bring light to the current Archivaria Editor Team’s acts of violence as a “humiliation ritual” and means for exclusion, gatekeeping, and destruction. I call on the Association of Canadian Archivists to honour their commitment to address the culture of white supremacy and violence against Black people in the archival profession.  Episode Resources: (Editors) Rebecka Taves Sheffield and Mario H. Ramirez. Call for Papers for Archivaria 100: Legacies of Critical Theory in Archives (Fall 2025). https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/announcement/view/83 [https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/announcement/view/83]  Dr. Carol Anderson. “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide.” Youtube. ⁠https://youtu.be/YBYUET24K1c?si=RDXrdc9qgSoROmT4 [https://youtu.be/YBYUET24K1c?si=RDXrdc9qgSoROmT4]  Association of Canadian Archivists’ Statement condemning racism, injustice, and violence against Black people (June 2020). https://archivists.ca/resources/EmailTemplates/!SC_2020_06%20ACA%20Scope%20and%20Content%20Volume%201,%20Issue%206%20June%202020/index_preview.html [https://archivists.ca/resources/EmailTemplates/!SC_2020_06%20ACA%20Scope%20and%20Content%20Volume%201,%20Issue%206%20June%202020/index_preview.html] Roger NMcKenzie, "The Rebirth of the African Phoenix a View from Babylon." https://www.manifestopress.coop/product/roger-mckenzie-the-rebirth-of-the-african-phoenix-a-view-from-babylon [https://www.manifestopress.coop/product/roger-mckenzie-the-rebirth-of-the-african-phoenix-a-view-from-babylon] Stay Connected: If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1L2wadHsEHFv52o5VBFpmP], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archives-things/id1608090727], and Amazon [https://www.audible.ca/pd/Archives-Things-Podcast/B0CM3PTZPB?eac_link=rsrraeNkkSc1&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0CM3PTZPB&qid=BmhEoBkYL4&eac_id=136-5209279-3982127_BmhEoBkYL4&sr=1-1&fbclid=PAAaYIe_Rpyt7W1_i0w4aVC4XbZquUxNSfnTdYoltRMndfqbwHLa5jXvFmTo8_aem_AdqXJSchGtbpK7R3tWqtxc8k7xgGMbHC64-FsE_OTbi0chq93qC1W2LkxrYWfstuHzY]. To learn more about my work, visit my website at ⁠https://melissajnelson.com⁠ [https://melissajnelson.com/]. You can connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melissanelsonja] or Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mel_j_nelson/] contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.  [melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com]

29 | Petrina Jackson, Schlesinger Library, Harvard University

Summary: In this episode, I welcome Petrina Jackson, Executive Director of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University. Petrina joined us to speak about advocacy and navigating the politics of white institutions. Episode Resources: W.E.B. DuBois, "The Souls of Black Folk." https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Souls-of-Black-Folk/W-E-B-Dubois/Enriched-Classics/9781416500414 [https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Souls-of-Black-Folk/W-E-B-Dubois/Enriched-Classics/9781416500414] Ruha Benjamin (2024). Imagination: A Manifesto. https://www.ruhabenjamin.com/imagination-a-manifesto [https://www.ruhabenjamin.com/imagination-a-manifesto] Black Portraiture[s] Conference. https://www.blackportraitures.info/ [https://www.blackportraitures.info/]  Stay Connected: If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1L2wadHsEHFv52o5VBFpmP], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archives-things/id1608090727], and Amazon [https://www.audible.ca/pd/Archives-Things-Podcast/B0CM3PTZPB?eac_link=rsrraeNkkSc1&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0CM3PTZPB&qid=BmhEoBkYL4&eac_id=136-5209279-3982127_BmhEoBkYL4&sr=1-1&fbclid=PAAaYIe_Rpyt7W1_i0w4aVC4XbZquUxNSfnTdYoltRMndfqbwHLa5jXvFmTo8_aem_AdqXJSchGtbpK7R3tWqtxc8k7xgGMbHC64-FsE_OTbi0chq93qC1W2LkxrYWfstuHzY]. To learn more about my work, visit my blog at ⁠https://melissajnelson.com⁠ [https://melissajnelson.com/]. You can connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melissanelsonja] or Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mel_j_nelson/] contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com. [melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com]

28 | Shane Laptiste & Tura Cousins Wilson, SOCA

Summary: In this episode, I welcome Shane Laptiste and Tura Cousins Wilson, leading architects of Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA). Shane and Tura joined us to speak about Black geographies and Black built environments as sites of remembrance. Episode Resources: Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA). https://socadesign.ca/ [https://socadesign.ca/]  (Eds.) Katherine McKittrick and Clyde Woods. (2007). Black Geographies and the Politics of Place. https://btlbooks.com/book/black-geographies-and-the-politics-of-place [https://btlbooks.com/book/black-geographies-and-the-politics-of-place]  Tura Cousins Wilson and Shane Laptiste. (2025). “Conjay's First Walk Home.” In, Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/messy-cities-zahra-ebrahim/1146454519 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/messy-cities-zahra-ebrahim/1146454519]  Amanda Nkeramihigo (June 27, 2025). Afrofuturism and Postapocalyptic Subjectivity. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09593543251347548 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09593543251347548]  Michael McMillan. (2024). AGO. The Front Room: Diaspora Migrant Aesthetics in the Home. https://ago.ca/events/michael-mcmillan-front-room [https://ago.ca/events/michael-mcmillan-front-room]  Stay Connected: If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1L2wadHsEHFv52o5VBFpmP], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archives-things/id1608090727], and Amazon [https://www.audible.ca/pd/Archives-Things-Podcast/B0CM3PTZPB?eac_link=rsrraeNkkSc1&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0CM3PTZPB&qid=BmhEoBkYL4&eac_id=136-5209279-3982127_BmhEoBkYL4&sr=1-1&fbclid=PAAaYIe_Rpyt7W1_i0w4aVC4XbZquUxNSfnTdYoltRMndfqbwHLa5jXvFmTo8_aem_AdqXJSchGtbpK7R3tWqtxc8k7xgGMbHC64-FsE_OTbi0chq93qC1W2LkxrYWfstuHzY]. To learn more about my work, visit my blog at ⁠https://melissajnelson.com⁠ [https://melissajnelson.com/]. You can connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melissanelsonja] and ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mel_j_nelson/] or contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.  [melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com]

27 | Audra A. Diptee, Carleton University

Summary: Welcome to the opener for season 4! In this episode, I welcome Audra A. Diptee, an Associate Professor of History at Carleton University. Audra joined us to speak about her research on the weaponization of colonial archives to rewrite history.  Episode Resources: Audra A. Diptee. https://www.audradiptee.com/ [https://www.audradiptee.com/]  Audra A. Diptée. (Apr 27, 2023). The records the British Empire didn't want you to see. YouTube. https://youtu.be/oPGVGckn7kQ?si=CnHTyoE6T6WH6DOG [https://youtu.be/oPGVGckn7kQ?si=CnHTyoE6T6WH6DOG]  Alex Williams. (2016). The Pass System. http://thepasssystem.ca/ [http://thepasssystem.ca/]  Donald J. Trump. Executive Order. Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. (March 27, 2025). https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/ [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/]  Stay Connected: If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1L2wadHsEHFv52o5VBFpmP], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archives-things/id1608090727], and Amazon [https://www.audible.ca/pd/Archives-Things-Podcast/B0CM3PTZPB?eac_link=rsrraeNkkSc1&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0CM3PTZPB&qid=BmhEoBkYL4&eac_id=136-5209279-3982127_BmhEoBkYL4&sr=1-1&fbclid=PAAaYIe_Rpyt7W1_i0w4aVC4XbZquUxNSfnTdYoltRMndfqbwHLa5jXvFmTo8_aem_AdqXJSchGtbpK7R3tWqtxc8k7xgGMbHC64-FsE_OTbi0chq93qC1W2LkxrYWfstuHzY]. To learn more about my work, visit my blog at ⁠https://melissajnelson.com⁠ [https://melissajnelson.com/]. You can connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melissanelsonja] or Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mel_j_nelson/] contact me at melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.  [melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com]

26 | Cheryl Foggo, C Foggo Co.

Summary: It’s the last episode of the year. In this episode, I welcome Cheryl Foggo, an author, filmmaker, playwright and community historian. Cheryl joins us to speak about her work recovering Black Prairie histories through film and storytelling. Episode Resources: Cheryl Foggo (January 24, 2022). Here: The Prairies are rich with the collective memories of the Black people who came before us. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/here [https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/here]  Cheryl Foggo (2020). Pourin’ Down Rain: A Black Woman Claims Her Place in the Canadian West. https://bookpublishers.ab.ca/titles/pourin-down-rain-2/ [https://bookpublishers.ab.ca/titles/pourin-down-rain-2/]  Cheryl Foggo (2020). John Ware Reclaimed. (Film). https://www.nfb.ca/film/john-ware-reclaimed/ [https://www.nfb.ca/film/john-ware-reclaimed/]  Stay Connected: If you enjoyed listening to this podcast you can follow, rate, and share it on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1L2wadHsEHFv52o5VBFpmP], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/archives-things/id1608090727], and Amazon [https://www.audible.ca/pd/Archives-Things-Podcast/B0CM3PTZPB?eac_link=rsrraeNkkSc1&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0CM3PTZPB&qid=BmhEoBkYL4&eac_id=136-5209279-3982127_BmhEoBkYL4&sr=1-1&fbclid=PAAaYIe_Rpyt7W1_i0w4aVC4XbZquUxNSfnTdYoltRMndfqbwHLa5jXvFmTo8_aem_AdqXJSchGtbpK7R3tWqtxc8k7xgGMbHC64-FsE_OTbi0chq93qC1W2LkxrYWfstuHzY]. To learn more about my work, visit my website at⁠ ⁠https://melissajnelson.com⁠⁠ [https://melissajnelson.com/]. You can connect with me on⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/melissanelsonja] and⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mel_j_nelson/] or by email at ⁠melissa.j.nelson@outlook.com.