The Black Archive

The Black Archive is a non-circulating research collection dedicated to Black arts, culture and history. It brings together rare books, exhibition catalogs, ephemera, and artworks that reflect the depth and breadth of Black creative and intellectual life.

Formed in response to the historic exclusion of Black voices from traditional archival spaces, the collection centers material that has too often been overlooked, dispersed or undervalued. As one of the most comprehensive archives of its kind in the region, it serves as both a resource and a record, advancing cultural preservation while opening new lines of inquiry.

The Archive is living and continuously evolving, shaped by the artists, scholars, and communities it supports. It is a place where memory is held, knowledge is built, and creative work is sustained across generations.

Through its growing collection and ongoing initiatives, The Black Archive ensures that Black histories and cultural legacies are not only preserved, but actively engaged, supporting scholarship, artistic production, and a sustained commitment to community-based archival practice.

ACCESSING THE BLACK ARCHIVE

The Archive is currently accessible by appointment only. Artists, scholars, and writers may request access to conduct research, write, and study.

Opening this fall, ALMA | LEWIS’ new space in Pittsburgh’s East End will triple the organization’s current footprint and expand public access to the collection. The new space will function as both a research resource and a gathering place, welcoming scholars, artists, writers, and community members with regular public hours. Learn more about our expansion.

THE BLACK ARCHIVE SERIES

Each winter, the Black Archive Speaker Series brings artists, writers, and scholars whose work engages Black culture, memory, and creative practice to ALMA | LEWIS for conversations with local scholars and members of the ALMA | LEWIS community. These gatherings create space for sustained dialogue, shared learning, and community grounded in care.

The Black Archive Speaker Series is made possible through the generous support of The Heinz Endowments, Teiger Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and individual donors.

SELECTIONS FROM THE BLACK ARCHIVE

Finding Martha’s Vineyard

Jill Nelson

Finding Martha’s Vineyard provides an intimate look into the island through research and oral history examination. Author Jill Nelson shares with us the stories of all who found themselves in Martha’s Vineyard –Indigenous peoples, white employers, Black enslaved people, and their descendants who inhabited the island as doctors, writers, teachers, homeowners, and weekenders.

One More River to Cross

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers’ One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album restores Black narrative control through his carefully curated selection of photographs. Myers proudly showcases images of Black joy, leisure, and community, allowing those photographed to be free and untethered to stereotypes or racial boundaries.

Lorraine Hansberry

Thomas Day

At a time when so many forces are gathering to destroy Black lives and history and erase Black contributions to who we are as humans, declaring ourselves here, alive, well, and determined to lay claim to joy is nothing short of ancestral practice. From our hair and fashion to our music to our scholarship, we have long been preservers of that which is undeniably us. What could be more exciting than joining that long legacy of Black folks who have kept archives in so many beautiful ways.

Tahirah J. Walker, Ph.D. Professor, Author, & Literary Advocate