Creating a Digital Archive for Afro-Turk Oral Histories

FAIN: FT-291703-23

Nikki Lynn Marie Brown
University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, KY 40506-0004)

Fieldwork leading to a digital archive of Afro-Turk oral histories that detail the history of slavery and racism in modern Turkey. 

The Afro-Turks represent a cross-cultural encounter and an emergent history. The modern-day descendants of enslaved peoples, the Afro-Turks hail from the global expanse of the Ottoman Empire in northern and eastern Africa. However, only in the last 20 years have scholars chronicled Afro-Turk heritage, including their efforts toward state recognition, education opportunities, political office holding, and economic development. I am applying for a 2022 NEH Summer Stipend to collect oral histories and build a digital archive of Afro-Turk citizens, particularly their experiences in political empowerment and national engagement. Entitled Creating a Digital Archive for Afro-Turk Oral Histories, this project aims to fill a knowledge gap that exists between African American Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. The intended audience are scholars of African diasporic studies, who are students of African American and Africana Studies, as well as Middle East Studies.