Digitalization has changed the world in a blink of eye. Our ancestors could never have dreamed that their stories would matter one day. Maybe they lacked resources to preserve their history. Preserving the legacies that history holds wasn’t easy task for them. Today, things are different, thanks to collaboration of Getty Images and Ancestry.
Recently, Getty Images and Ancestry have partnered up to highlight a pivotal need for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It will be an example to many generations.
Bringing HBCU Archives Online
Getty Images’ mission is not only to protect HBCU archives from deterioration. It focuses on making them easy to find online. That means all those old photos, student newspapers, campus bulletins, class photos, and other records were lost for years. But it all seems to be digitized now.
This initiative is actually part of Getty Images’ HBCU Grants Program. Initially, the focus was on photography. Later, after visiting HBCU campuses, the team realized there was so much more to discover. That includes documents that narrate stories, highlight achievements, and preserve community memories. So, they decided to expand, influenced by collaboration with Ancestry.
Why This Matters?
HBCUs have shaped American history significantly. They did this by educating many Black leaders, artists, scientists, and innovators. Unfortunately, we prefer to explore digitally rather than reading books. That’s why we may miss many historical details and knowledge that only remains in a tangible form. But, now revival of this history seems possible through this digital initiative.
HBCUs owns all material, both printed and digital. This makes this project unique. Plus, Ancestry collaborates directly with each university, scanning documents on-site and then giving all the digital files back to the schools as part of their partnership with Getty Images. Moreover, Ancestry gives free access to its platform to every campus. This allows students and faculty to know about their personal histories and the histories of their institutions. I might call it a family reunion.
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania is the first HBCU to participate. It is important because Lincoln was the first HBCU in the U.S. to grant degrees. They joined Getty’s program last year. Since then, they have made hundreds of historical photos available for licensing through Getty’s HBCU Collection.
Final Thoughts
Personally I think this collaboration is way too impactful. You will get better access to archives. The history we never knew, now we’ll know. I have always been curious about my ancestors. I feel our cultures can be restored through projects like the one between Ancestry and Getty Images. It seems more than just a digital project. It is connecting us more than educating us. If our history can be preserved this way, then why not?
