When Archives Listen: Communities Rewriting Their Own Stories Online

What if the keepers of cultural memory weren’t just scholars, but communities themselves? The American Folklife Center is spotlighting this shift with an online event that brings together global voices to explore how archives can serve—not just store—living traditions. Two roundtables anchor the day: the first zooms out for a worldwide look at how archives are evolving from static repositories into dynamic partners in cultural preservation. Experts from India, Kenya, Canada, and the U.S. share how documentation practices are changing to reflect the voices of those whose stories are being told. The second roundtable dives into hands-on examples, revealing how communities are taking the lead in documenting, preserving, and sharing their own heritage. At the heart of it all: questions of ethics, equity, and ownership. When communities drive the archival process, cultural heritage becomes a living conversation, not just a record on a shelf. #CommunityArchives #CulturalHeritage #Folklife #Culture