This collection contains Pat Mullen’s research materials from 1978 Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project, a collaborative endeavor between the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, a team of Folklorists, and photographers.
The collection provides rich materials for individuals and groups curious about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the material compares Black and White narratives of “the sacred.” Potential questions for research include, “How and why are narrative presented in a manner that communicates racial inequality?” “How does the archive preserve narratives of equality?”
There are 22 folders of primarily paper material and 21 cartons of photo slides included in the collection. The folders organize like material by folder; for instance, articles and newsletters are together in one folder while postage and mail material can be found in another.
Additional context of Pat Mullen’s unique interest in the relationship between Black and White narratives and his mission for a shared narrative of equity via open discourse as well as “the sacred” can be found here:
Public-facing Module: Creative Video on the PM Collection
In Autumn 2023, a video was created to commemorate the Patrick B. Mullen collection in the CFS Archive, as part of a larger public-facing module. It was produced by graduate students, Adam Banks and Andrew Mehall, who took part in a Comparative Studies learning lab in archival methods.