Additional Information

Available Through

JSTOR

Language

English

Notes

Themed Issue: Archaeologies of Engagement, Representation, and Identity

Abstract: Cornel West has said that the role of the intellectual is to try to turn easy answers into critical questions and then put those questions to people with power. To whom do public archaeologists address these questions? I am currently involved in an ongoing experiment to use typically nonarchaeological venues to engage with multiple publics about "history matters." This includes participation in historical societies, commissions, and committees which may have stated aims to discuss, celebrate, and preserve history, but which frequently (sometimes unconsciously) perpetuate and reproduce traditional race/class inequities and power imbalances. My archaeological focus on inner-city African American neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, means that both my research and this larger project take place in settings where insensitive gentrification is impeding grassroots efforts to maintain and reclaim control of historical landscapes and narratives. This article will examine and critique this work, owning mistakes made and (usually small) victories achieved.

Additional tags: addressing power imbalances in our work; public engagement; African American archaeology; historical archaeology; gentrification

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Appropriate Dissemination of Research
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public

CIfA Codes

• Principle 2: Responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment
• Principle 4: Responsibility for the availability of archaeological results within reasonable dispatch
• Principle 5: Recognition of aspirations of employees, colleagues and helpers in all matters of employment

Keywords & Terms

• Accountability
• Adequate and Responsible Reporting, Publication, and Dissemination
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Equity and Representation; Discrimination and Harassment
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups

Topics & Issues

• Civic Engagement
• Class in Archaeology
• Collaboration in Archaeology (i.e. Communities, Non-Archaeologists, etc.)
• Community Archaeology and Participatory Research
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Equity, Representation, and Diversity
• Feminism and Intersectionality
• Historic/Cultural Resource/Site Preservation
• Historical Archaeology
• Privilege and Issues of Inclusivity
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education
• Public Memory and Public Space
• Race in Archaeology
• Working with Student Volunteers and the Public