ABC Archives projecT

The ABC Archives Project (AAP) aims to create and hold space for the preservation, remembrance, and honoring of the ways in which Black people across decades have created, sustained, and evolved through community with each other on Lafayette College's campus. We hope for this project to serve as a host for institutional memory that is and would not be otherwise recorded and as a touchstone for Black students, staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni to frequent for words of wisdom and the reminder that they are not the first nor will they be the last to navigate through their experiences. This project is for us, period. We reject white supremacy's culture of silence and forgetfulness, and commit to an honest record of our lives, experiences, and impact at this institution.

https://scalar.lafayette.edu/abcarchives/index

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Event: ABC Archives Project Exhibition

Location: Kirby Hall Library of Civil Rights

Why:
A self-appointed “senior project”, Xavier curated an exhibition showcasing the work that was done on the ABC Archives Project (AAP) throughout his four years at Lafayette (2018-2022). The multi-modal exhibition consisted of physical materials from Special Collections, 6 panels depicting the overarrching themes of the project laptops for attendees to browse the digital archive, and numerous locations for visitors to reflect on their experience at Lafayette and offer feedback on the project.The AAP Exhibition was created along with a series of programming,
including a Portrait Day, Scavenger Hunt, and more - all led by Walker.

Event: Portrait Day

Location: Plot of land that the 3rd iteration of the Portlock Black Cultural Center (1990-2022) stood

Why:
The Portlock Black Cultural Center located at 101 McCartney Street was an integral part of the Black student experience during Walker’s time at Lafayette. Through research, it was revealed that the building, affectionately called ‘Portlock’ resided within a long history of displacement of Black student spaces on campus. During the 2021-2022 academic year, students saw the demolishment of the Portlock at 101 McCartney Street and the plot of land utilized as a parking lot during the interim of further campus renovations. Walker decided to host the inaugural Portrait Day in this location, to honor the memories of the generations of Black students who walked through those doors, and offer students the space to reflect and record the memories of the last of them. Students were also invited to write the metadata of their own portraits that were then added into the digital archive.