The South Providence People’s Archive (SPPA) is a physical and digital collection of recorded memories and dreams commemorating the Black and Native American residents of the Public Street area – past and present. The archive will include — but will not be limited to — cultural art, family photos, community print-works, digital scans, and audio recording that document the people, places, and ways of life that animate the neighborhoods surrounding Public Street.

The purpose of SPPA is to contribute intimate accounts of Black and Native American life to the public record. With these intimate accounts, the archive’s hope is to offer a deeper reflection of the Black and Native American history, culture, and vision of the South Side. SPPA is designed to be community-determined and ongoing, sharing agency with residents on how their stories are told and held. The project is based on building authentic relationships, necessitating embodied practices of trust, honesty, and kinship.

In addition to hosting community gatherings, SPPA will continue offering free services and resources such as high-quality scanning, printing, recording, art making and photography to support residents with digitizing and sharing their memories and dreams for the area surrounding Public Street.

For more information about past and future programs of the SPPA, see Edwige Charlot’s personal website.