Bard High School Early College is proud to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our esteemed professor, Dr. Shana Russell, on the remarkable achievement of her work with the Rikers Public Memory Project. Under her leadership as chief historian, the project's oral history archive has been officially acquired by the New York Public Library Special Collections Division.

This significant collection, which includes 90 oral history interviews conducted between 2018 and 2021, preserves the voices and experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. It serves as a crucial resource in documenting the lived realities of incarceration and challenging the dehumanizing narratives surrounding Rikers Island.

In celebration of this milestone, Dr. Russell moderated a special public panel and preservation event at the NYPL's main branch, marking the archive's inclusion into the library's prestigious collections. We invite the public to view the recording of this insightful panel discussion, which can be accessed here (https://www.youtube.com/live/r-0dGQASLi0?si=bPY32da_hadtzY4U).

We are incredibly proud of Dr. Russell's dedication and contributions to this important project, and we look forward to her continued impact in the field of history and public memory.

For further exploration, the Rikers Public Memory Project oral history collection is available through the NYPL catalog.