POST: The African American Theater History Project

In a post introducing the African American Theater History Project, Cecily Marcus (University of Minnesota Libraries) introduces the collaboration between the Penumbra Theater and the University of Minnesota Libraries aiming to increase access to “the primary materials that document African American theater and cultural history.”

In developing the IMLS-funded project, the participating institutions will be:

1. working with leading African American theaters and repositories to identify and make accessible a national collection of digital archival material that documents African American cultural history, including theater;

2. creating a freely available online search tool that can live on any website and that makes African American historical documentation more easily discoverable; and

3. promoting awareness and use of this resource by theater professionals, scholars, students, educators, and the general public.