Announcements

SGA Keynote Address: Responding in Times of Crisis: Empowering People through Community Archives and Public History

Abstract: Invisible Histories is a Southern LGBTQ community-based archive. Join co-founders Maigen Sullivan, PhD, and Josh Burford as they discuss the organization's efforts to save at-risk history during our current challenging time. Sullivan and Burford will discuss how Invisible Histories uses both traditional and nontraditional archiving practices to preserve marginalized history and empower communities to tell their own stories. Finally, they will present ideas on how you can get involved with similar activities both as a professional and as an individual trying to navigate our current socio-political climate.


Speakers:
Maigen Sullivan, PhD (She/Her)
Co-Executive Director
Maigen Sullivan is the co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Invisible Histories, a nonprofit locating, researching, and creating educational content around LGBTQ history in the Deep South. Maigen has been in this role since 2018 and has previously worked or taught at several institutions including The University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University at Buffalo. She has over 15 years of experience in education, social justice, diversity & inclusion, and research.
Maigen earned her BA in History and her MA in Women's Studies from The University of Alabama (UA). She earned her Doctorate in Educational Studies of Diverse Populations from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Maigen was named a 2020 National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME) Emerging Scholar. She was recognized by the Society of American Archivists Innovator of the Year award in 2020 and the Marvin Yeoman Whiting Award given by the Society of Alabama Archivists in 2021.


Joshua Burford (He/Him)
Co-Executive Director
Joshua Burford is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Invisible Histories. Invisible Histories is a regional non-profit focused on the preservation, access, and research of the diverse Queer and Trans history of the American South. Josh is an award-winning historian, archivist, and educator with over 20 years of experience creating stronger communities for Queer and Transgender people across the U.S. Josh finished his Master's degrees in 2006 with an MA in American Studies (with a concentration in LGBT history of the late 20th century) as well a Masters in Library and Information Studies. A historian and archivist by training, In 2019 Josh was selected by NBC as part of their Pride50 that honors 50 individuals who have shaped Queer history since Stonewall