Article

From Archive to Action: Building a Black-Centered Information Ecology Through BGLAM

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Abstract

In the face of anti-DEI legislation and cultural backlash, this article introduces Black Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (BGLAM) as a liberatory framework for cultural sovereignty. Drawing from Black feminist thought (Collins 2000; hooks 1994) and archival justice, BGLAM redefines information work through three ecologies: framework, practice, and pedagogy. These ecologies emerge through cultural design (ART | library deco), community activism (The Black COVID-19 Index), and education (African American Community Archives as Theory [AACAT-1870]), establishing a Black-centered information ecology grounded in self-determination, creativity, and collective memory—transforming inclusion from a bureaucratic demand into an act of liberation.

Keywords: BGLAM, Autoethnography, Black Theorists, Information Ecology, African American Community Archives Theory

How to Cite:

Keeton, k. M., (2025) “From Archive to Action: Building a Black-Centered Information Ecology Through BGLAM”, The Political Librarian 8(2), 116-118.