Annotating and Interpreting Sources

Annotating and Interpreting Sources

After reading the two historical commentaries provided for this assignment, one obvious thing is the stark contrast in experiences that the authors had. When Bridgette Robinson, the author of “The Haunting of the Archives,” first attempted to visit the archives, she encountered a great deal of opposition.  For example, she was separated from other researchers and placed in what she calls a “special desk” because the others needed a quiet space to conduct their research. (Admin 2020). There was a blatant refusal to cooperate from the archivists who not only intentionally kept information from her but also ignored her. At one point not only did they delay the scant information they provided, but they also told her to quit searching for it.

On the other hand, with Plaster Cast, An Allegory’s author, the experience was completely different. Despite being a foreigner doing research in a French museum, knowing little French, and also knowing nothing about French etiquette, all she needed were the right credentials and everything went smoothly (Mitchell, 2020). The French archivists were not only professional, polite, and welcoming but they acted as guides to help her navigate the whole experience as she was quite nervous. Her experience was positive and she got more than she was looking for.

Both historians were researching the cruelty that black women have suffered in history.  Bridgette Robinson researched the forced sterilization and medical abuse of poor black women, while Dr. Robin Mitchell researched Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman who was sold to Europe back in the 19^th century. In Europe, the woman faced a lot of cruelty and inhumane acts. For example, she was exhibited in front of people as a freak show and they named her “Hottentot Venus” (Willis, 2010). Even after her death, she was still used as an exhibition in the French Museums.

The archivists in Bridgette Robinson’s story were rude, dismissive, unprofessional and one would even say discriminating. The archivists in Dr. Robin Mitchell’s story, however, were professional, accommodating, understanding, and respectful. Following this, I believe that a researcher’s experience in the archives can be attributed to their race and/or gender. Bridgette Robinson’s experience is a testament to this. The archivist went out of their way to make sure she did not access the resources she needed and even told her to not look into it.

Subsequently, when the authors were confronted with the primary sources of the data they were looking for, the sources contained horrifying facts of how black women have been subjects of cruel inhumane acts. Further, both authors were shocked by the cruelty they witnessed but also relieved that they could continue with their work successfully. Further, based on my review of the researcher’s processes, I do not find any bias in their processes. Both authors did not deviate from the truth in any way that could distort the results and give wrong conclusions. Their method of study involved locating obscure or long-lost information on a particular topic; thus, they did not produce any new data leaving little to no room for biased data.

References

Admin. (2020). The haunting of the archives. Association of Black Women Historians. https://abwh.org/2020/04/15/the-hauting-of-the-archives/

Mitchell, R. (2020). Vénus Noire: Black Women and Colonial Fantasies in Nineteenth-Century France (Vol. 36). University of Georgia Press.

Willis, D. (Ed.). (2010). Black Venus 2010: they called her” Hottentot”. Temple University Press

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You are responsible for reading two pieces of historical commentary on the archives: Dr. Bridgette Robinson’s “The Haunting of the ArchivesLinks to an external site.,” (2020) and Dr. Robin Mitchell’s “Preface,” from Venus Noire Black Women and Colonial Fantasies in 19th Century France (2022). Both sources give insight into the research process while navigating the archive.

For this lab, please consider the following questions and compose them in essay format. Please upload a file. No textbook entries.

Annotating and Interpreting Sources

How do both authors compare and/or contrast in their experiences?
What were both historians researching?
How did the archivist in each narrative behave toward the author?
Can a researcher’s experience in the archives be attributed to their race and/or gender?
Once confronted with the primary sources they were looking for, what did the primary sources reveal to each author? How did they react to the sources?
How does bias show up in both researcher’s processes?
Please feel free to add any more insight and analysis to your essay. Before you begin, please review the “How to Score Big on Written Essays’ post in Canvas, under the “Start Here” tab.