A Vision Worth Running Towards
Start of the month reflections and updates from Kinfolk
Though 2026 didn’t initially give us much to be hopeful for or excited about, February shifted that energy — and the culture. From historic award show wins to grassroots organizing, this month has proven that the power lies with we the people.
During his Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny reminded us that how we preserve and tell our stories can be an affirmation of the world we insist on living in. In front of the largest NFL audience in history, Bad Bunny introduced the world to Puerto Rico including its painful history and vibrant future. He reiterated what we at Kinfolk have always known: we dictate our narrative. His stunning visuals and musicality did more than keep us dancing; the performance gave us a vision worth running towards and encouragement for the work up ahead. That’s the power of an archive by and for us.
It can feel daunting to shoulder the weight of saving ourselves and the planet from so many threats but what if we accepted this task as an invitation rather than a burden? Right now, we have the chance to treat archives and storytelling as a way to memorialize our visions, resistance, and creativity. After all, we’re only writing this newsletter because of the relentless work of those before us and you’re only reading it because great people made good trouble. When presented with the ebbs and flows our communities have waded through, we have no choice but to dream bigger, work more strategically, and expect greater than what we can currently see.
Organizer and abolitionist Mariame Kaba beautifully reminds us that everything worthwhile is done with other people. As we at Kinfolk Tech journey to leave this society and world better than we received them, we’ve rounded up somes recaps and sneak previews of the programs and campaigns that we’re sinking our teeth into, as well as some stories and organizations inspiring us. Subscribe to our substack, catch our next teach-in, and get ready for OURCHIVES — our 2026 campaign that will include digital archiving tools, monument launches, programs, parties, a podcast, and more that you won’t want to miss! What tables will you shake this year? What “new normals” will you usher into existence? We hope to be right with you for it all.
OURCHIVES: A People’s History of America’s 250th
OURCHIVES: A People’s History of America’s 250th is an initiative interwoven into all of the work we will be doing for the rest of the year. Throughout this campaign we will highlight the contradictions, and –more importantly– shed light on the histories and contemporary people who resisted imperialism, racial capitalism, sexism, and other forms of domination.
Remembering and documenting from below, or “a people’s history”, is meant to be an affirmation. And, it is an invitation to everyone in our community to contribute their stories and take care of their own precious archives. This is a training ground for culture bearers who will preserve family photographs, recipe books, letters, zines, political posters, and more that will give future generations insight on how to live and be. This project is also an act of refusal to comply with the current administration’s Executive Order Restoring Truth and Humanity to American History.
This is a call for storytellers, community historians, memory workers, artists, and creative technologists of displaced and excluded communities to tell their own stories—and to shape their own legacies. We believe every community deserves the tools to preserve its past and imagine its future. By using our collective memory as a force for justice, belonging, and possibility, we believe we can co-create a new narrative. Join us in building a new archive for the people, by the people.
Reflecting on the Haiti Freed Us All Teach-In
The People’s Archive teach-in series is officially up and running! Our first session, “Haiti Freed Us All”, with tasha dougé, Jessica Marie Johnson, Alain Martin, and Dread Scott, was everything we hoped it would be and more. Providing space for a robust discussion and exploration of how the Haitian Revolution has influenced and inspired resistance, liberation, and decolonization movements. Our panelists shared their work, grounded in revolution, across academia, filmmaking, and visual art and led us through an exploration of how this fragmented history of Haiti’s revolution—hidden in oral traditions, art, and community knowledge— can continue to teach us strategies for liberation.
Gratitude to all of our panelists, our partner for this session, Haiti Cultural Exchange, and everyone who attended or has viewed the recording. If you were unable to attend this teach-in session a recording is available to watch on our YouTube channel.
Our next teach-in, The People’s Archive: Beyond The Past Tense, will be held on Monday, April 20. Registration for this session will open soon so stay tuned for details and updates in the coming weeks.
History Starts At Home: How We Keep Our Stories
We’re living through an extremely important moment in history. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States. And the current administration is doing everything in their power to manipulate, redefine, and rewrite the narrative of what is and isn’t important to this country’s history. But we know better than that. WE KNOW that “history starts at home”. Which is the name of a new video series we’re producing with the goal of empowering and inspiring our community to think about archiving and memory keeping as something that we all CAN and MUST do to preserve the histories and legacies of our families and communities for future generations so that a more expansive version of American history lives on.
Our first mini-episode is focusing on defining what an archive is, and showing you how easy it is to get started is coming soon, so stay tuned to our Instagram feed.
Black Girls In Archives
Black Girls in Archives is a collective dedicated to empowering and uplifting Black women in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector. Committed to providing vital resources, essential tools, and valuable networking opportunities, they aim to support, elevate, and foster connections with professionals. Their mission is to create spaces, share insights, and build bridges that enable young women of color to thrive, succeed, and make a meaningful impact in the GLAM world. Learn more about Black Girls In Archives on their Instagram or Substack.
Ülëw Coffee & Juice
Los Angeles cafe, Ülëw Coffee & Juice, is helping the city’s Guatemalan community reclaim the indigenous language of K’iche’. Shop owner Jefri Lindo, who is fluent in K’iche’, uses Ülëw’s Instagram account to teach followers how to pronounce common phrases, posts K’iche’ flash cards around the shop, and even keeps a K’iche’ grammar book in their bookcase for customers to flip through. We’re inspired by Ülëw’s example of community centered stewardship of cultural and collective memory, and resistance against erasure and stigma surrounding the use of indigenous languages. If you’re interested in learning more about Ülëw, check out their Instagram account and read this article in the Boyle Heights Beat.
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research
The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research (BISR) is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute that offers critical, community-based education in the humanities and social sciences. Working in partnership with local businesses and cultural organizations, we integrate rigorous but accessible scholarly study with the everyday lives of working adults and re-imagine scholarship for the 21st century.
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