Dr. Gwendolyn Patton, veteran of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, is featured on Emory University's Southern Spaces.
Gwen Patton never imagined herself as an archivist until her grandparents began giving her their memorabilia from the Civil Rights Movement. She then realized the need for a grassroots archive for local students and community members. At Trenholm State Technical College, Patton helped establish the only archive in America at a two-year community college. Here she discusses the reasons why Trenholm State has this archive, the problems she has overcome to establish the archive, and what the archive has taught her and can teach the community.
The feature consists of two short videos (Real Player), Dr. Patton talking about herself and the history of the archive (9:57) and then giving a tour of the archive (3:54).
A choice quote from Dr. Patton:
They said, "well why this college, this two year college?" . . . the students at this college, mainly first generation . . . high school GED students . . . they are the original, the authentic heirs of the grassroots people who marched and walked and protested . . . and they have ownership of these materials.
Also take a moment to look at the archive's Collections Online.
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