Bernie Boston's work, which Athena Lemon was able to interact with thanks to the RIT Archive, motivated Lemon to look into her family history and create her own archive, which is now on display at RIT's University Gallery.
"A lot of times as African Americans, we feel like we're alone in a lot of spaces," said RIT professorclass introduced Lemon to the work of Bernie Boston, a Black RIT graduate who went on to become a celebrated, Pulitzer Prize nominated photojournalist. He is best known for his groundbreaking civil rights and antiwar coverage.
"To be able to have students come in here and see themselves reflected in the collections, and to build off their own stories and narratives...is everything," said RIT University Archivist Elizabeth Call. Lemon also describes her exhibit as a love letter to her grandparents, especially her grandmother, whom she lost to dementia in 2017.