Diasporic Archives
This Chapter draws from studies in geography and anthropology, diasporic and postcolonial studies to explore the operation of transformation discourse within the archive showing also the importance of the emergence of a hybrid methodology for the presentation of cultural origin, contexts of digital displays and interpretation of archival materials. In particular, the chapter looks into the use of participatory forms of appraisal in the context of the creation of community archives. The case studies for this chapter include Thomas Allen Harris’s multimedia community engagement archival project Digital Diaspora Family Reunion (DDFR); ‘Creating Collaborative Catalogues’, a collaboration between Ramesh Srinivasan, Robin Boast, and Jim Enote; and a number of educational projects by the Museum of the African.