Privilege Statement
Having access to family artifacts and knowledge of family history is a distinctly white privilege. While some of my family members fell victim to the potato famines in Ireland and Irish discrimination upon moving to America, most of my family members enjoyed the privilege of being white in America. They were able to buy land and store property and belongings without the threat of violence or theft. They were never forced from their homes or thrown in jail without cause. Because of my ancestor's whiteness, I am able to enjoy seeing and possessing artifacts from my past. I can search for and find members of my family tree with ease. I know my lineage, I can hold it in my hand. In fact, my father's family passed down so many photographs and papers that it's almost overwhelming. This is all white privilege.
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Many BIPOC never had the chance to preserve their history. They were torn from their homes in a fashion my family has never had to experience. They suffered not only the loss of their families but of their history. Their artifacts were purposely destroyed, their lineage purposely erased. Every artifact they possess has been fought for through slavery, discrimination, white violence, and systemic hatred. That's why it's so important to focus on preserving and sharing histories and artifacts outside of whiteness.
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The Last McCoy Library collections are distinctly white. It is a project I am passionate about because it is my history, but I cannot change its whiteness. What I can do is name it and call attention to the privilege that I and other white people have when it comes to family history.
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In addition, I can try to help others. Below are resources I have found helpful in my quest to find family members and preserve McCoy family artifacts. If you are a BIPOC or underrepresented group that has family artifacts you would like to digitize and share, please contact me. I can help find free resources to help you on your journey.
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Family History Resources
Family Search - A free resource to search for family members and related records.
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Free Digitization and Sharing Resources
GIMP - A free image manipulation program that allows photo retouching, image composition, and resizing/resolution changes.
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Omeka - A web publishing platform for digital items that allows for the creation of collections and exhibits. The free version allows 1 site with 500 MB of storage. After that, plans are very affordable, starting at $35/year for 2 GB of storage.