The LDF Archives, managed by a team of dedicated archivists, inform LDF’s work by providing the facts and context for the ongoing fight for racial justice in America today. The core of LDF’s archival collection are briefs, pleadings, research, and correspondence related to the more than 6,000 cases LDF has litigated since its founding in 1940. “This work honors the past and deepens our engagement throughout the broader community.” “Within the work of Sharing Our History, Informing Our Present, Envisioning Our Future, not only do we have the opportunity to make significant headway in our archival tools and collections - we will illuminate the past to better inform our future,” said LDF’s Senior Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives Anne Houghtaling. Through the preservation and sharing of history - via stories, records, and artifacts - we have a unique opportunity to learn about and continue to build on the legacy of those who came before us.” “LDF’s archives are one of its most cherished and valuable resources, and we are honored to share this treasure in service of knowledge. “It is immensely gratifying to announce the establishment of LDF’s newest initiative within the Thurgood Marshall Institute, which will leverage LDF’s robust and rich archival collection to reach more people, ultimately expanding public education about our nation’s history,” said LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson. The oral histories associated with the initiative will be created in collaboration with the University of North Carolina’s Southern Oral History Program, one of the nation’s oldest oral history programs. Through in-depth interviews, the oral history component of the project will document the strategies, stories, and people behind LDF’s history and explore the personal accounts and unwritten context behind its efforts for over 80 years to defend and advance the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America. The project will also feature a platform for members of the public to access archival information related to LDF’s history of advancing racial justice and the evolution of this country’s multi-racial democracy. The initiative will encompass a collection of oral histories and first-person stories from key civil rights figures, including lawyers and clients from past cases, as well as a digitization program to enhance the preservation of LDF’s archival records. Today the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) announced Sharing Our History, Informing Our Present, Envisioning Our Future, a new archives initiative led by the Thurgood Marshall Institute.
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