blog | werkgroep caraïbische letteren

“If colonization was about enforcement, decolonization should be about empowerment”:

Interview with Stanley H. Griffin, of the University of the West Indies

by Vance Woods

Last week, Dr. Stanley Griffin and I spoke about noise and silence in the archives and the ways in which the machineries of colonialism have left their mark on Caribbean archival practices. Today, we speak about ongoing challenges to Caribbean memory institutions and how to preserve those memories in a way that reflects the totality of historical experience and the people who participated in its creation.

Nationaal Archief Curaçao / foto © Berber van Beek.

(Archivoz) Last time, you spoke of the archival silences created by those whose perspectives of power establish official historical narratives. Sometimes these silences (empty spaces) in the archives are intentionally created. For example, in 1935, the Frigorífico Anglo, a British meat-packing plant in Argentina, attempted to abscond with records requested during a parliamentary investigation by concealing them in crates of corned beef aboard the Norman Star, a British ship anchored in the Port of Buenos Aires. To what extent is archival silence attributable to such “bad actors,” and what overall impact do these actions have on archival content around the world?

Turn to the Archevoz-website for the answer and more; January 23, 2023.

on 25.01.2023 at 14:45
Tags: / /

Your comment please...

  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Twitter