First Fridays: How to Handle Hate Mail
Correspondence, letters, notes, messages, mail – there are many words for these materials that comprise the backbone of the archives. This year we will uplift the humble letters that pepper our collections.
Please register to attend in person or online. ASL interpreters will be present for all First Fridays events.
Light buffet lunch at 11:30 a.m. | Presentations begin at noon | A tour of the archival caverns will follow the presentation.
How to Handle Hate Mail
Presented by Kate Dietrick, Archivist, Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Jewish community has dealt with various types of antisemitism for decades. But what do you do if you’ve received hate through the post? We’ll dive into the materials of the Jewish Community Relations Council and learn how they have historically handled hate mail, and why we would want to preserve these hate-filled documents in the archives.
“Write, Don’t Forget:” Immigrants Receiving and Writing Letters
Presented by Daniel Necas, Archivist, Immigration History Research Center Archives
In the postal era, pre-internet and pre-telephone, letters written on paper traveled between immigrant homes in the United States and their relatives who stayed behind. They provided often the only means of communication helping to maintain ties and relationships. IHRCA holdings contain numerous collections of letters in a host of languages documenting that communication, sometimes with a strong emotional charge.
About
First Fridays is made possible by a generous gift from Governor Elmer L. Andersen and Mrs. Eleanor Andersen in honor of former University Librarian Dr. Edward B. Stanford.