Florence Edwards Borders (February 24, 1924 – September 7, 2018) was an American archivist, historian, and librarian.[1] She specialized in the preservation of African American historical artifacts, especially those related to Afro-Louisianans.[2]
From 1970 to 1989, Borders served as the senior archivist and "pioneer staff member" of the Amistad Research Center before retiring.[2][4] However, only five months after retiring, she returned to work as head archivist for the Center for African and African-American Studies at Southern University (SUNO) from 1989 until her retirement almost 20 years later.[5][3] As a scholar, she was active in engaging and promoting New Orleans and South Louisiana culture.[5]
The Amistad Research Center holds the Florence Borders papers, 1933-2007, which includes many of her personal papers, essays, archival aids, interviews, and research.[6]
She curated and organized many exhibits over her career through Amistad, Chicory, and SUNO.[7] One of her projects at Amistad was as sole processor of the Thomas C. Dent Papers, 1972-1000.[4]
She began attending meetings of the Society of American Archivists in the 1970s and in the 1980s, she helped establish the SAA Task Force on Minorities, now the Archivists and Archives of Color.[3]
Publications and media
Borders co-founded the scholarly journal Chicory Review, which focuses on African-American history and culture.[2][8] She published many of her own articles in Callaloo, the Black Music Research Journal, Louisiana Library Bulletin, and her own journal, Chicory Review, where she served as editor.[5][4]
She frequently lectured at events and conferences, and served as research consultant for several films and oral histories.[2] She worked as a researcher for The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, and appeared in Liberty Street Blues.[9]Marlon Riggs drew on her expertise for his documentary Black Is, Black Ain't, she was consulted for the film House Divided, and she coordinated many interviews for the oral history project "Behind the Veil: The Jim Crow Era."[3]
Death
Borders died on September 7, 2018, in New Orleans.[9]