Thread by @profgabrielle

I want to talk about indexing and #CiteBlackWomen. Finishing a book? INDEXING can erase or *highlight* emerging + the most established scholars. We had to point to where @marthasjones_, Frances Smith Foster, Carla Peterson and @dgburgher should appear and hadn’t fully or at all.

The *practices* of indexing almost erasedFrances Foster’s contribution to this volume there. She had been cited by half the contributors but mostly in their endnotes—which were not as closely indexed. Not any more. 👉🏽We have to pay attention and advocate to #CiteBlackWomen.👈🏾

Indexing practices also deny collective work—clusters of names—a place in their precious pages. This book highlights *networks* of Black influence, Black debates and Black collective writing. 👉🏽But indexing is structured to highlight individualism.👈🏾 uncpress.org/book/978146965…

Not today, Satan. We will not erase the scholars + collectives who laid the foundation for our work. After hours spent of searching page proofs + writing notes to our wonderful (Black woman) indexer @jimccasey1 and I honored @CCP_org principles coloredconventions.org/about/principl…

Indexes are imbued with values that elevate those who have archival + historical power. As scholars who work on the erased and disremembered, our methodological challenges must center not only endnotes but indices. Thank you @citeblackwomen for being so transformative.

Here's our (Black Woman) indexer, Sherri Barnes at moonlightindexing.wordpress.com. Thanking Carla Peterson for the recommendation when we were looking. If you know other BIPOC indexers, please drop their names in here!