By Alexandra Bastien

8/29/2022

The Imperative and Atlantic Archives have formed a partnership to accelerate the development of their fellowship programs which work to raise the collective capacity of Afro Brazilians and international partnering organizations to engage in transnational community archival development and networking.  

Having mutual respect for our global Black experiences and culture is a major key to bridging understanding. Learning the history, context and individual stories of a community can lead to stronger relationships built on empathy and trust. 

The Imperative is a philanthropic institution that promotes the Wealth, Health and Connectedness of Black people, globally. Our fund makes strategic investments that increase wealth, improve health outcomes and increase social, economic and cultural ties among Black people throughout the African Diaspora. We are committed to addressing the specific challenges facing Black people that inhibit us from thriving. The Foundation’s programs promote social connections and full monetary, spiritual, mental and physical wellness, for people of African descent.

Based in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Atlantic Archives aims to connect the Black diaspora by helping marginalized groups in Brazil document, preserve, and share their stories through independent, community-based archives. The community partnerships forged through the Atlantic Archives support the cultivation of leadership in marginalized and endangered communities. 

Atlantic Archives is an incubator for grassroots archives in Brazil. Its two programs, Mochileiros Arquivistas (Backpack Archivists) and the Lelia Gonzalez Fellowship, recruit, train, and mentor Afro-Brazilians from marginalized communities in an extensive set of technical and organizational competencies to create and operate archival institutions. After creating their institutions, they are connected with a diverse transnational network of memory workers.

Brazil has the largest Black population in the world with the exception of Nigeria. Despite this unique demographic, Afro Brazilians disproportionally face chronic unemployment, gender-based violence and other forms of discrimination, poverty, and limited access to health services, information and technology.  Connecting Black communities from working-class and intersectional perspectives is critical for the development of 21st Century global Black movements. This initiative helps to build bridges between some of the largest, yet most distant populations in the Black diaspora.

The Atlantic Archives methodology is based on social solidarity and is implemented using a framework of mutual aid and knowledge sharing. They strategically address the racial-class inequalities by simultaneously creating both cultural and economic opportunities for groups facing critical challenges.

Fellows engage with various groups ranging from grassroots to corporate institutions to share knowledge, discover gaps or opportunities, and respond to challenges that face the most vulnerable communities in the Black diaspora. Stay tuned to keep up with the work in Bahia. Contact us for more information.