An online exhibition profiling ancestors of color who have contributed to folklore scholarship through research and documentation by, about, and for the uplift of historically and persistently marginalized communities.
The Notable Folklorists of Color online exhibition, sponsored by the American Folklore Society, now features Expanding the Frames, with more than 135 new ancestor scholars who have contributed to folklore studies, as well as a variety of rich supplemental material. A preview of the new exhibition is available now.
The Notable Folklorists of Color: Expanding the Frames exhibition extends the examination of the contributions of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) ancestor scholars to folklore studies that was begun in the AFS Notable Folklorists of Color: Remembering Our Ancestral Legacies exhibition in 2019. Remembering Our Ancestral Legacies, curated by May-Machunda and Cadaval, commemorates 25 folklorists in honor of the 25th anniversary of the AFS Cultural Diversity Committee. The new exhibition, Expanding the Frames, highlights 135 BIPOC ancestors—who often have worked within their own communities—as significant producers of scholarly knowledge about the communities and traditions they studied, presented by approximately 50 current African American, Native American, Latinx, Asian American, and Native Hawaiian authors from folklore studies and allied fields active in both public and academic arenas.
Read more about the 2022 Annual Meeting events and activities celebrating the preview of Expanding the Frames.
Meet some of our notable folklorists:
About the Exhibit
First shown at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society (AFS), Notable Folklorists of Color: Remembering Our Ancestral Legacies was developed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Cultural Diversity Committee (CDC). In this exhibit curators Dr. Phyllis M. May-Machunda and Dr. Olivia Cadaval highlight 25 scholars of color, ancestors whose significant contributions expanded research in folkloristics and laid a foundation for folkloristic scholarship by people of color in communities of color. The new exhibition, Expanding the Frames, highlights 135 additional BIPOC ancestors.
Questions? Suggestions? Email [email protected] to get in touch with us about Notable Folklorists of Color.