“Cultures of dissemblance refers to a culture of practice within African American communities, specifically that black women practice. It’s about dissembling– hiding or shielding what your own interior feelings are, your own personal perspectives, when you are interacting specifically within a white atmosphere.” - Dalena Hunter

For episode 24 we talked to Dalena Hunter. a Librarian at UCLA Bunche Center for African American Studies who is currently working on her thesis which explores how archives capture Black lesbian experiences and how these materials are used by researchers. We discuss record keeping culture, the racial bias in archival silences, cultures of dissemblance, and the power of memory and history in community.

Look out for our next special episode where we ask our past guests “What does the term lesbian mean to you?”

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