Alabama SB 77 and the Alabama Department of Archives and History
By: Jessie Johnson, The University of North Alabama
In June 2020, the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) recommitted itself to preserving and sharing a more inclusive history of Alabama. Part of this recommitment was acknowledging ADAH’s historic role in “the acquisition of Confederate records and artifacts while declining to acquire and preserve materials documenting the lives and contributions of African Americans in Alabama.”[1] To correct this, ADAH pledged to “be a facilitator of public dialogue, seeking opportunities to build bridges through mutually respectful discussions of personal, community, and state history. These voices will help shape our exhibitions and public programs.”[2] The public programs that ADAH hosts highlight the commitment to expand the history shared with the public. Public programs hosted by ADAH have included Alabama in the movies, book talks, special lectures, and “Food for Thought.” “Food for Thought” is hosted at noon during the week and lasts for an hour.[3] One “Food for Thought” topic has caused controversy in the state legislature: Alabama’s LGBTQ+ History—which was funded by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Alliance. [4]
ADAH is the focus of Alabama’s GOP because of the LGBTQ+ program from this past summer. The most recent bill, SB 77, passed the Senate on February 15, 2024, and moved to the House. SB 77 proposes that the Board of Trustees for ADAH no longer be self-appointing and instead be appointed by the governor or Congressional leadership.[5] The Alabama Senate GOP took to Twitter the week of February 12, 2024, to gain support for SB 77 by stating that ADAH “has blatantly disregarded Alabama’s longstanding commitment to preserving our history and instead promoted their own social agenda.” Steve Murray, director of ADAH, and Carrie Banks, VP of the Friend of the Archive, proposed an amendment to SB 77 on February 21, 2024, that would require board appointments to be confirmed by the Senate.[6] As of the writing of this article, there have not been any further updates.
The question now is do archives have a responsibility to solely preserve and share state-sanctioned history. The Society of American Archivists states in its Core Values of Archivists that “Archivists collectively seek to document and preserve the record of the broadest possible range of individuals, communities, governance, and organizations. Archivists respectfully work to build and promote archival collections that document a multiplicity of viewpoints on social, political, and intellectual issues.”[7] For ADAH to continue to be considered a leading educational resource in Alabama, the department must be allowed to host programs that reflect the whole history of Alabama, as well as retain leadership who uphold the promises made in 2020 by ADAH and reflect the best practices of the archival profession.
If you are interested in reading ADAH’s recommitment, you can find it here, and SB 77 can be read here.
Chris Pruitt, The Alabama Department of Archives and History, April 11, 2009, photography, Montgomery, Alabama.
Notes
[1] “Statement of Recommitment” (Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, AL, 2020), 1.
[2] “Statement of Recommitment,” 1.
[3] “About the Archives,” Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama Department of Archives and History, February 22, 2024, www.archives.alabama.gov/EventCalendar.aspx.
[4] Jemma Stephenson, “LGBTQ History Program Part of Recommitment Effort, Says Archives and History,” Alabama Reflector, Alabama Reflector, June 20, 2023, www.alabamareflector.com/2023/06/20/alabama-department-of-archives-and-hisotry-lgbtq-hisotry-program-part-of -recommitment-effort/.
[5] Chris Elliott, (Senate Bill 77, 2024).
[6] Alander Roacha, “Opponents Urge Changed to Bill Changing Archives Governance,” Alabama Reflector, Alabama Reflector, February 21, 2024, www.alabamareflector.com/2024/02/21/opponenets-urge-changes-to-bill-changing-archives-governance/.
[7] “SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics,” Society of American Archivist, Society of American Archivist, August 8, 2020, www.archivist.org/statements/saa-care-values-statement-and-code-of-ethics.
