Alcorn State University in Mississippi has formed a new partnership with Getty Images to preserve its institutional archives featuring materials from throughout the HBCU’s 155-year history.
“Alcorn State University’s legacy of educational excellence and impact establishes it as a powerful addition to the Getty Images HBCU Program,” said Cassandra Illidge, vice president of partnerships and HBCU Programs at Getty Images. “Together, we are expanding access to vital historical narratives and ensuring that the stories of Mississippi and beyond are preserved, elevated, and accessible for generations to come.”
Through this partnership, Getty Images will mange the post-production costs to restore thousands of images from Alcorn’s archives, including rarely seen photographs and video footage. The university will also receive support for proper metadata application, scanning equipment for the digitization processs, and student stipends for participation in the project.
“Through this collaboration with Getty Images, Alcorn’s visibility will increase significantly, showcasing our history and growth as we approach 155 years as America’s first public land-grant HBCU,” said Tracy M. Cook, president of Alcorn State University. “The world will now have a front row seat to the traditions and excellence that have defined Alcorn State for generations. This is not just about where we have been; it is about where we are going.”
With all due respect Tracy M. Cook, your decision to partner with the White owned behemoth of America’s most iconic imagery, Getty Images Holdings, Inc. is downright misguided, feebleminded, and borderline administrative malfeasance. Why would anyone in their right mind WILLINGLY hand over control of your own image to an entity that’s totally oblivious to local, state, and national contributions Alcorn State University has made historically and currently.
Are you aware that too many so-called Black institutions have sold out to Getty Images Holdings, Inc. for a few schillings from the likes of Johnson Publications (i.e., Ebony & Jet Magazine), Bennett College, Claflin University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Lincoln University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and A&M College, and Stillman College. Each and every one of them should be duly ashamed for allowing someone outside of the HBCU community to have controlling interests of you own imagery.
For those who dissent, please spare me with the rationale that partnering with Getty Images Holdings, Inc. would enable our institution to digitize our historical imagery with certain digitization equipment along with exposing our students to this state-of-the-art scanning technology. In fact, Alcorn State University and those other HBCUs presidents and chancellors should have made this a top priority in their respective budgets for the library over the course of years. If this would have occurred, the archival imagery of Alcorn State University and other HBCUs wouldn’t be housed in tattered boxes and non-temperature controlled buildings.
In close, I challenge each HBCU president or chancellor to answer a simple question, has the operating budget for your library increased for the past three years? If not, why not? Case in point, one can easily determine the type of higher education institution you’re at based upon the overall operational and functionality of your LIBRARY. Comprende!