'Collecting 2020' Needs Community Support

Miami FL

31 December, 2020

9:01 AM

Description

the Miami Times Miami Times Staff Report Dec 30, 2020 2020 won't soon be forgotten, but memories do fade over time. To help preserve the most relevant and impactful moments of the past year, HistoryMiami Museum – which collects, preserves and provides access to items that document the history of the region – has launched a new initiative called Collecting 2020. To ensure its success, museum leaders are asking the public to contribute meaningful items and stories reflecting a year marked by demands for racial justice, a deep national divide and the coronavirus pandemic. The project aims to preserve a record of life in Miami that chronicles how residents have been affected by and responded to these critical and often polarizing happenings. Accepted submissions will be added to HistoryMiami's permanent collection and made available to researchers and the general public. Items donated so far include materials from national and local political races, a Black Lives Matter jersey from the Miami Heat, and a Grim Reaper costume worn by attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who walked Florida's beaches this summer in an effort to warn others of the dangers of COVID-19. "The events of this year are historic moments that will never be forgotten," said Jorge Zamanillo, executive director of HistoryMiami Museum. "Our museum is committed to this collaborative effort to document the history of Miami and Miamians during this unheralded year." While the project is focused on preserving local experiences through photographs and artifacts related to COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2020 elections, the museum is also seeking written, audio and video stories related to other seminal events of 2020 as part of its longstanding Miami Stories project. Now more than a decade old, Miami Stories gathers accounts of the Magic City's past, present and future. These stories are added to the museum's archive and shared online and with local media outlets. "At HistoryMiami Museum, we value everyone's story," said Michael Knoll, the museum's chief curator and the director of curatorial affairs. "Partnering with the community on this initiative is of paramount importance to preserving and sharing our city's stories, especially with future generations." So while you may want to forget everything that happened in 2020, HistoryMiami wants to remember it all. Visit historymiami.org/collecting2020 to find out how to submit objects and stories; drop-offs and unsolicited donations made through mail or in person will not be accepted. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.