Florida’s new director introduces native Black Archives and Historic Overtown to a global stage

Kamila E. Pritchett, who assumed the position of govt director of The Black Archives Historical past & Analysis  Basis of South Florida, Inc. in July of final 12 months, has massive plans for the nonprofit group. 

“For a corporation that has been round so long as The Black  Archives, you will need to continue to grow, and evolving to stay related with the pursuits of society at giant,” stated Pritchett. 

“The Black Archives has restored our properties, enlivened the neighborhood with exercise on the Historic  Lyric Theater, gained stable monetary help with the objectives of sustainability and now, I imagine we’re on the place in our journey the place the world must know in regards to the essential work we’re doing at The  Black Archives,” Pritchett added.

Final week, Pritchett was invited to journey to Sandefjord, Norway as a visitor speaker for the Arkivforbundet Nationwide Norwegian Archives Convention.

She was invited to current on the work of the Black Archives and the significance of its mission, particularly within the face of the present anti-black historical past laws in Florida and nationally within the U.S. 

In March, two Norwegian archivists visited the Black Archives whereas in Miami on trip. They took a  tour of the archival repository and realized from Pritchett about Miami’s wealthy Black historical past and the work being accomplished to protect it. 

They have been so impressed by what they’d realized, they supplied Pritchett a  flight to Norway to share her story. 

“It’s each heartwarming and heartbreaking, to have individuals on the opposite facet of the world have extra respect and curiosity within the historical past of Black individuals in the USA than a few of our personal neighbors,” Pritchett stated. “Irrespective of how difficult it may be, the work of historical past holding is important to  society –and so, we persist.”

This 12 months, the Black Archives is celebrating the a hundred and tenth anniversary of the Historic Lyric Theater, which was opened in 1913.