Documenting History

Protesting is part of our collective democratic history.

In Rensselaer County, across the nation, and around the world, protests have truly helped shape the world as we know it today and continue to do so, challenging our perceptions of the status quo. On June 7th, 2020, the City of Troy saw over 11,000 people join together for the Rally for Black Lives led by Justice for Dahmeek alongside the Aya Rising Project,  All of Us, and the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, demonstrating once again the power of protest. In preparation for this event, many downtown buildings were boarded up and those coverings were used by local artists as a way to visually join the protest.

The Hart Cluett Museum recognizes the importance of protest and is committed to documenting and capturing the history of this moment so that generations to come can better understand how we, as a community, responded to the call to action. To do this while the evidence of the protest and related activities are still on-going, we are initiating an effort to collect, preserve, and share the stories of this unique time. Since much of the material is “ephemera” and not created for longevity, getting photos and videos of the window boards, images from the Rally, and many other aspects of these times is critical to do while they are available.

As a community partner on many projects and as an institution dedicated to recognizing every face and every story, the Hart Cluett Museum is asking the public to contact us about protest posters, signs, tee shirts and other items related to protests and/or social distancing for the Rally for Black Lives and Black Lives Matter that are an intertwined part of our current history. HCM is welcoming suggestions for materials that help to highlight the voices that make up this moment in history.

Please contact Stacy Pomeroy Draper, HCM Curator/Archivist, as a first step in the collecting process. We thank you in advance for understanding that while we will do our best to build a collection that reflects these recent events, it is not possible to collect everything, but the Hart Cluett Museum is committed to reflecting the diversity of response to the pandemic and the issues it has brought to light.

Stacy Pomeroy Draper
518-272-7232 x14
spdraper@hartcluett.org