The Hand That Rocks The Archives Rules The World

Does it seem suspicious to you that Alabama and Mississippi were the first states that established a Department of Archives and History?

This episode explores how state-sponsored misinformation perpetuated Jim Crow and white supremacist ideology for over 100 years and how it has affected Southerners' ability to flourish and belong.

It also highlights the power of archivists, librarians, and historians in perpetuating or challenging dominant narratives.

During this episode, host Rebecca Lauderdale discusses:

• The first director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History was Dunbar Rowland, a lawyer and advocate for preserving Confederate history. T
• The Mississippi Department of Archives and History intentionally preserved documents supporting the Lost Cause of the Confederacy and neglected to preserve records and artifacts that were unrelated or contradictory.
• The Lost Cause of the Confederacy was a state-sponsored misinformation campaign that perpetuated Jim Crow and white supremacist ideology for over 100 years.
• Preserving history can be political and archivists and librarians have a responsibility to ensure that all voices are heard.
• The importance of telling the truth about ourselves and others to build community and belonging.
• Misinformation campaigns like the Lost Cause are not unique to the past, and similar tactics are being used in current laws and policies that discriminate against marginalized groups in states like Florida and Tennessee.
• The importance of telling the truth, even when it's painful, to preserve community and belonging for Southerners of all kinds.

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References for this episode:
Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937. A Mississippi View of Race Relations In the South. Jackson, Miss.: Harmon pub. co., printers, 1903.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Mississippi_flag_referendum#cite_note-:0-1

Duggan, Paul (November 28, 2018). "The Confederacy Was Built on Slavery. How Can So Many Southern Whites Think Otherwise?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.

https://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/history-of-the-confederate-flags