The Community Memory Fellow (CMF) position was created to broaden the notion of what public history is in Richmond and make that history accessible to everyone. Over the course of this one year fellowship, the CMF acts as an ambassador whose work expands the voices being preserved and shared as part of local history. The CMF also develops and maintains relationships with organizations and individuals who do public history work, but may lack resources that the library can provide. The work of the Community Memory Fellow is supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Marvin, and I am a Richmonder, born and raised. All four of my grandparents are from Richmond and most of my great grandparents are either from here or came to Richmond during the Great Migration from places like Amelia, Prince Edward, and South Carolina. That’s why Richmond history is very important to me, because it is my own history.
At 12, I first logged on to Ancestry.com, after watching Henry Louis Gates’ African American Lives and gave historic research my first real try. In high school, at TeeJay, I wrote my IB senior thesis on Richmond as a metropolis and its role in 19th-20th century politics. And at UVA, majoring in History, I was a research assistant for the Papers of George Washington, Jefferson’s Early University Life, and Black Virginians in Blue. So, suffice to say, I have personal and educational ties that make this position the role of a lifetime for me.
My greatest hope is to be useful. To make sure that whatever I am doing, I do it to the best of my ability. I want to bridge the gap between accessible public knowledge and lesser-known narratives of Richmond– to serve as a liaison to the public, being a potential first stop for historical, Richmond and Central Virginia based research; as well as aiding community groups and creating long lasting relationships.
Do you have a project that you are excited about?
This one is still in the works, and I’m still in conversation with U of R and the DHR: I’m going to create a 3-D printed model of historic neighborhoods in Richmond that were torn down due to Urban Renewal. These models will be on display at the Library throughout February. Upon this, there will be a more expansive digital element that will allow viewers to virtually walk through these lost areas as well as host an event that will allow former residents to share their memories and narratives before they are they are lost to time, as well as discuss other effects of Urban Renewal and Gentrification.
What have you done so far?
I created a presentation for an event in September about Richmond in the last 100 years––– so, 1924-2024. What makes this most exciting is that the event was for Richmonders who are at least 100 years old. It was a bit daunting since they’ve lived this long–– they are the true experts; but nonetheless, it’s always interesting to study the changes that a place has made in a century.
I’ve also been a vital member of the Monuments project; interviewing individuals and assisting with the digitization of documents vital to the dismantling of Richmond’s Confederate Monuments. These interviews and documents will be available on RPL’s new digital collections platform.
We are also partnering with the Library of Virginia to digitize Virginia yearbooks. We are looking for active or defunct public high school yearbooks that are at least 20 years old. LVA has already digitized some yearbooks, so we are not asking for those. We ask that members of the public drop off their yearbooks at the Main Library and sign a project agreement. We will digitize the yearbooks and make them available online, and of course you get your original yearbook back. If you’d like to get involved, or you have any research queries or concerns, you can call (804-646-0117) or email me!
