Explore – Justice and the Archives

Hello and welcome to my Humanities 104 Portfolio, Justice Through the Archives! My name is Sarah Tabor and I am a freshman at Davidson College. I chose the theme of “archive” to tie together my takeaways from the class. As Dr. Boyer mentioned in our final lecture on May 6th, we “have to remember things.” Throughout this year, I have developed a sense of why the Humanities are so important to me– they give us a conscience, they tell us where knowledge comes from, they give us direction to apply knowledge, and a way to make sense of (or even build) a world in which the application of that knowledge matters. Throughout the year, I have been captivated by how we remember, how we store the things we remember (history, norms, experiences), and how that storage plays a role in world-making. For this reason, I chose “archive” as a theme to base my understanding of justice and the humanities on.

This portfolio is intended to resemble a museum’s website. My intention is for the audience to consider archives– how history (in the broadest sense of the word) is written, stored, and remembered to form collective narratives which go on to inform conceptions and processes of justice.

On the navigation menu, you will see options starting with this one, “explore.” The purpose of this page is to guide the audience in their engagement with the website. The “mission” page showcases the mission of this class, my definition of justice. Though justice is a concept that cannot, and should not have a concrete definition, it is a meaningful task to think about how one might go about creating one. Next, the “gallery” tab includes what would be the permanent collection of this museum– the bases upon which my learning has grown in this class, including sixteen key terms and seven revised Moodle posts. The “learn” tab showcases three formal writings I have produced this semester, where I was able to synthesize all the course materials and make meaning as a result. The “core collection” tab showcases four free flowing, personal pieces I created at the end of each semester, each connecting to an archive in some form and relating back to the overarching theme of justice. The “primary exhibit” tab houses my central research paper, which I produced using skills I developed over the course of the year. The “connect” tab leads to my collaborative piece, in which my peers contributed to my portfolio. Finally, the “events” tab holds each of the written commentaries for each of the campus events I attended throughout the year. This portfolio will make the most sense if the audience clicks on each tab, one by one, from left to right, and follows the menus within from top to bottom. Enjoy!

I would like to thank all of the people who aided me in the production of this portfolio, and gave me the materials and guidance to develop my intellectual skills this semester. Dr. Jankovic, Dr. Lipsker, Dr. Bowles, and Dr. Boyer, thank you for your helpful feedback as my section leaders, and, along with Dr. Bory and Dr. Pyle, your thought-provoking lectures. Azmie Cruz and Sammie Fenway, thank you for your support and review as my ATs this semester. To my peers who made this class an incredible community learning experience, thank you.

Boyer, Patricio. “Final Lecture,” HUM 104, 6 May 2024, Hance Auditorium, Davidson College.

Image Credits

LaDame Quicolle. “Gisèle.” 2024. Paris. Rue Saint-Maur.

Rietmann, Otto, and International Committee of the Red Cross. Heiden. Henry Dunant Âgé de 67 Ans. December 8, 1895. Negative. ICRC Audiovisual Archives.

U.S. Government Copyright. Lynndie England Forcing an Inmate, Known to the Guards as “Gus”, to Crawl and Bark like a Dog on a Leash. England Is Holding a Leash Attached to a Prisoner Collapsed on the Floor. 2008. Commons.wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abu-ghraib-leash.jpg.