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May 2026
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
— Zora Neale Hurston
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Register for Summer Cohort II or Fall Cohort IV - The Finale!
Register for Summer Cohort II or Fall Cohort IV - The Finale!
The AACAT Summer Digital Lab and AACAT-1870 Final Cohort IV continue to create intentional virtual learning spaces centered on African American archival practice, digital humanities, genealogy, preservation, storytelling, and community-based research. Designed for participants interested in documenting and preserving African American history, both cohort experiences integrate collaborative learning, guided seminar modules, peer engagement, and capstone-based project development within a supportive digital environment.
The AACAT Summer Digital Lab offers an 8-week virtual cohort experience running July 12 through August 30, 2026. Participants will engage in asynchronous learning, collaborative discussion groups, and project-building opportunities focused on public memory work, archival interpretation, and digital storytelling practices.
The AACAT-1870 Final Cohort IV serves as the final cohort experience for the African American Community Archives Course and runs from September 30 through December 30, 2026. Over the course of three months, participants will explore seminar modules focused on African American archival theory, genealogy, oral history, preservation, and community archives while developing research and interpretive projects connected to family and community narratives.
Registration for both cohort experiences is now open. Participants interested in interdisciplinary learning and community-centered archival engagement are encouraged to apply early due to limited cohort capacity.
Dr. kYmberly Keeton Selected for 2026 Summer BitCurator Forum Presentation
Dr. kYmberly Keeton Selected for 2026 Summer BitCurator Forum Presentation
April 2026 — Under the 2026 conference theme, Hitting Reset, Dr. kYmberly Keeton has been selected to present a Lightning Talk at the 2026 BitCurator Consortium Forum. Her presentation, “Lessons in Digital Stewardship from the AACAT-1870 Founding Graduate Cohort,” was accepted through a competitive, peer-reviewed selection process.
Positioned within an autoethnographic framework, Dr. Keeton examines the capstone projects of the AACAT-1870 Founding Graduate Cohort through her role as scholar–observer–educator. The presentation offers a focused, 10-minute critical reflection on digital stewardship, community archiving practices, and the preservation of Black cultural memory within emerging digital humanities contexts.
The virtual forum will be held on June 17, 2026. Additional program details and registration information will be released by the organizers in the coming months. All presenters are required to register for the Forum.
This selection underscores Dr. Keeton’s contributions to scholarship at the intersection of digital humanities, archival studies, and Black knowledge production.
The BitCurator Forum, organized by the BitCurator Consortium, is an annual gathering of practitioners, scholars, and educators working in digital archives, digital forensics, and cultural heritage stewardship. The forum provides a collaborative space for sharing tools, research, and emerging practices that support the preservation and access of born-digital materials across libraries, archives, and museums.
Registration Extension Notice: AACAT-1870 Cohort II
Registration Extension Notice: AACAT-1870 Cohort II
Registration for AACAT-1870 Cohort II has been officially extended through April 11th. This extension provides additional time for interested participants to complete enrollment, finalize required materials, and secure their place in the Spring cohort experience.
AACAT-1870 is a non-traditional graduate-level learning environment taught at the doctoral level in African American community archives, digital humanities, and culturally grounded archival theory. The extension ensures that individuals who are prepared to engage the seminar structure, complete pre-course requirements, and participate in the collective learning environment have the opportunity to join the cohort.
Participants are encouraged to complete registration as soon as possible, as available seats remain limited and onboarding materials are already in progress. All newly registered participants will receive immediate access to pre-course seminar materials, onboarding resources, and cohort preparation modules upon confirmation of enrollment.
New Registration Deadline: April 11th
Cohort: AACAT-1870 Cohort II
Status: Registration Extended | Enroll *Click Green Button.*
March 2026
Women’s History Month 2026
"Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future."
The 2026 Women’s History Month theme statement issued by the National Women’s History Alliance recognizes women’s leadership in advancing sustainable environmental, economic, and social transformation.
March 10, 2026 | For Immediate Release
March 10, 2026 | For Immediate Release
AACAT-1870 Recognizes the Founding Graduate Members of Cohort I
AACAT-1870 Recognizes the Founding Graduate Members of Cohort I
“The function of the university is not simply to teach breadwinning, but to teach life.”
— W. E. B. Du Bois
AACAT-1870: African American Community Archives Theory proudly recognizes the completion of capstone presentations by the program’s Founding Graduate Class — Cohort I.
Under the instruction of Dr. kYmberly Keeton, participants developed original capstone projects exploring African American community archives through oral history, genealogy, digital storytelling, family archives, and community-based documentation. These projects reflect the central role of families and communities in preserving Black cultural memory.
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Founding Graduate Members — Cohort I
Founding Graduate Members — Cohort I
D. J. Briscoe
Reconstructing Community Through Family: The Davidson Family in Huntersville, Mecklenburg County
Tova Harris
In Our Own Words
Kelsi Hasden
Black Jacksonville Collective and Front Porch History Archive
Annelisa Purdie
Coffee & Lemon Cake: Harlem in Transition & One Family's Story
Marie Catherine Payne
Zansèt Yo
Jenise Ruehle
Be Your Own Archivist
Nichelle M. Hayes
My Foundation ~ Faith and Family
Visitors are invited to explore the Cohort I Archive to learn more about each graduate’s project.
AACAT–1870 Debuts Official Cohort Seal and Adopts Foundational Text During Women’s History Month 2026
AACAT–1870 Debuts Official Cohort Seal and Adopts Foundational Text During Women’s History Month 2026
March 2026 — In observance of Women’s History Month 2026 and its theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” AACAT–1870 formally unveils the official seal of its inaugural cohort and affirms the adoption of Chapter 17 of Black Reconstruction in America as its foundational text.
The AACAT–1870 Seal reflects the intellectual framework of African American Community Archives Theory. At its center, a shield bears three symbols: the open book (Black knowledge production and documentation), the arched doorway (access and institutional reclamation), and the key (ethical stewardship of community memory). The year 1870 anchors the emblem in the Reconstruction era — a defining period of African American institution-building and civic expansion.
The banner inscription, “Nkae na Nkyerɛ” — “Preserve and Teach,” affirms that archives are active sites of transmission, not passive storage.
By adopting Chapter 17 of Black Reconstruction in America, the cohort grounds its work in W. E. B. Du Bois’s critical reframing of Reconstruction and his warning against the “propaganda of history.” This adoption signals a commitment to corrective documentation, historiographical rigor, and community-centered archival practice.
Together, the seal and its foundational text establish AACAT–1870’s institutional identity and scholarly lineage — rooted in Reconstruction-era vision and carried forward through principled preservation and education.
February 2026
“The record of the past is not dead material, but living memory — and whoever controls that memory shapes the story of a people.”
— Adapted from the archival philosophy of W. E. B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America (1935)
The Founding Graduate Class of AACAT-1870 Makes History on the Final Day of Black History Month 2026
The Founding Graduate Class of AACAT-1870 Makes History on the Final Day of Black History Month 2026
On the final day of Black History Month 2026, the Founding Graduate Class of AACAT-1870 made history as their capstone projects were officially published and released to the public.
Grounded in African American Community Archives Theory, Cohort I produced digital archives and storytelling projects that center family, faith, migration, and community memory as living sites of Black history.
The cohort’s closing gathering featured final guest speaker Camika C. Spencer, whose presentation, “Don’t Overthink Documenting Family,” grounded the class in documentation as both art and responsibility.
The Podcast: It’s Beautiful and Chaotic
Thinking out loud, footnotes implied. It’s Beautiful and Chaotic is a 60-minute monthly podcast where two Black women PhDs—Dr. kYmberly Keeton and Dr. Justice Briscoe—engage conversations at the intersection of theory, lived experience, and the everyday complexities of Black intellectual life. Episodes center on reflection, dialogue, and critical inquiry while remaining grounded, candid, and accessible.
All episodes are publicly available to stream anytime, with select conversations featuring guest contributors. New episodes are released on the last Friday of each month. Listen to the latest episode and join the conversation.
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