Preserving New York's Community Memories

As neighborhoods change and longtime residents are displaced, community histories risk being lost. Across New York, grassroots digital archives are preserving cultural heritage—from Harlem's jazz history to immigrant stories in Queens, from LGBTQ+ activism in Greenwich Village to public housing memories in the Bronx.

These digital archives contain sensitive materials: personal stories, family photographs, documentation of community organizing. How can these archives remain accessible while respecting privacy and protecting vulnerable community members?