Welcome to the Septima Clark Learning Center, Highlander’s library and archive in a beautiful new building that houses our radical bookstore; a multi-use room for films, displays, workshops, healing space, or art-making; and has an incredible deck and porch to enjoy the Smoky Mountain views. 

Staff librarians Ashby Haywood and Susan Williams recently hosted the Southern Memory Workers Institute, convening 16 memory workers from across our region in a 5-day workshop to train on archival, documentarian, and other memory work skills, as well as Highlander’s six methodologies.

Memory work is a critical intervention for restoring and sustaining the collective memory of our liberation movements. Sessions included trainings and presentations facilitated by participants on public history tours, personal journaling practices, community-based archives, archival digitization, documentary photography, oral history, zines, and community mapping.

Susan and Ashby are also busy recovering and digitizing historical documents, building out a history timeline of Highlander’s work to celebrate Highlander’s 90th anniversary, and are redeveloping our onsite book collection to include materials directly related to Highlander’s work and methodologies.

Check out the new Soutron site for the Learning Center to access digital materials and resources, including more than 1,200 catalogued books and an easy link to our online bookstore.

Learn more by emailing ashby@highlandercenter.org or susan@highlandercenter.org