Living Archives: Cultural Heritage as Community Practice

This panel brings together curators and cultural organizers who are actively engaged in reclaiming narratives, challenging dominant historical frameworks, and building new models for community-centered preservation. Together, they will examine the tensions between institutional stewardship and community ownership, the role of public space in memory-making, and innovative approaches to ensuring that cultural heritage reflects the voices and experiences of those whose stories have been marginalized or erased.Panelists Shanna Sabio (Co-Founder, GROWHOUSE), Libertad Guerra (Executive Director, The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center), Kamau Ware (Founder, Black Gotham), and Djali Brown-Cepeda (Founder, NuevaYorkinos) will share insights from their diverse practices, addressing critical questions from institutional archives to grassroots memory work. Moderated by Idris Brewster, Director of Kinfolk Tech, this discussion will illuminate pathways toward more equitable and inclusive approaches to cultural memory, offering both critique and vision for the future of heritage work.