In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to share a selection of projects that are increasing the visibility of Black lives in archival materials while also presenting an opportunity for us to contribute to this work. This list is by no means exhaustive—if there is a project that you think should be added to the list, we encourage you to mention it in a comment on this post. Please also note that the materials in these projects may be difficult for some viewers, due to their potentially offensive and/or racist content.
Brothers in Arms: The Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection
This transcription project is available through the Library of Congress’ “By the People” portal. The William A. Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection (ca. 500 items) spans the years 1773 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from the Civil War period, 1861-1865. This collection documents African Americans in military service, especially the United States Corps d’Afrique and the United States Colored Troops, which were organized during the Civil War.
Citizen Archivist Mission: United States Colored Troops Records
This transcription project is available through NARA. Help NARA transcribe the military service records of Union volunteer soldiers who served during the American Civil War. Records include jackets (folders) containing cards on which information relating to individuals, companies, and regiments have been copied from originals (muster rolls, morning reports, etc.).
Black Lives in the Founding Era
This transcription project is available from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This selection of documents sheds light on what life was like for some Black Americans in the eighteenth century. Taken from more than 200 books, magazines, and newspapers, these texts—which are largely about enslaved people and the institution of slavery—provide insight into the experiences of some Black Americans during the founding era.
Freedman’s Bureau Records
This transcription project is available through the Smithsonian’s Digital Volunteer Transcription Center. The Freedman’s Bureau records contain the names of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved individuals and Southern white refugees. The remaining records needing transcription are registers, indexes, and correspondence.
SNAP Section 