CSUB alumnus to speak about showcasing Black history

CSUB in the Community: Public History Institute

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 17^th, 2022

This story is the first in a new ongoing series titled CSUB in the Community, which will highlight various programs and organizations on campus that serve the community through their programming.

A California State University, Bakersfield alumnus will speak on campus next week about the importance of showcasing Black history in museum and archive exhibitions.

Tyree Boyd-Pates, who currently works as the associate curator of western history at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, will be providing a presentation titled “Remixing the Archive: Making Black History Contemporary” on March 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Walter W. Stiern Library’s Dezember Reading Room.

The presentation, which will also be livestreamed on the library's YouTube channel, is being put on by CSUB’s Public History Institute.

“Given Tyree’s career trajectory and that he is an alumnus from CSUB, I’m thrilled to have our students get the opportunity to hear his story,” said Dr. Miriam Vivian, director of the institute and chair of the History Department. “His focus on expanding the scope of traditional museum exhibitions and archival collections to tap into less represented voices, like African American voices, is really exciting. This is a great chance for students to see someone who’s come right out of CSUB and started this impressive career right here in Southern California.”

Boyd-Pates graduated from CSUB in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in Black studies and has since gone on to develop a prolific career focused on Black history.

At the Autry Museum, he develops exhibits in American history, namely the African American experience in the West. He has also worked as a curator and public program manager at the California African American Museum.

Boyd-Pates is a 2021 Civic Media Fellow at the Annenberg Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California and a 2021 Innovation Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Luskin Center for History and Policy.

Dr. Vivian said Boyd-Pates’ presentation next week is a great opportunity for the community as well as students.

“This is a great opportunity to become more aware of the rich tapestry of western history that’s out there and Black history within that,” she said. “People can hear from someone who can provide a different historical perspective.”

Preserving local history

The Public History Institute has offered a slew of programming since it was first created in 2009 within the School of Arts and Humanities, including presentations from visiting speakers, conferences, exhibitions and oral history projects through the Historical Research Center.

The goal of the institute is to collect, explore, preserve and promote the history of Kern County and the entire region, including the wider San Joaquin Valley. It is led by Dr. Vivian and a committee that includes CSUB and Bakersfield College faculty as well as members of the community.

“We exist to explore topics in the history of our region and to try to create programming that engages the community in that exploration,” Dr. Vivian said.

Past events have focused on topics such as the Dust Bowl, Delano grape strike and the Bakersfield Sound. The institute has worked with several community partners on its programming over the years, including the Kern County Museum and the Kern County Historical Society.

“The Public History Institute has provided an invaluable bridge between the history and heritage of our region and the scholarship and resources of a public university,” said Mike Warner, president of the Historical Society. “Because of the PHI, we now have a place where sources and documents can be preserved, stored and made available for future research. The PHI has offered our community an invitation to become a part of the university in a new and exciting way.”

Strengthening the connection between the university and the wider community is a big part of the institute’s mission, according to Dr. Vivian.

“We want members of the community to recognize that there’s a really rich history in this region and that we care about it,” she said. “Through our programming, we hope they gain a better understanding of the importance of the culture and the history here and that they share that with others.”

Dr. Vivian said the institute works hard to make sure that all its programming is open to the public for free so that there are no financial barriers to entry.