Website Creates Digital Archive for HB2 Experiences

Citizens can share and document their experiences with North Carolina’s House Bill 2 through a new digital archive created by a North Carolina State University historian.

The website, NC HB2: A Citizens’ History (nchb2history.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu), allows users to submit stories, videos, images and documents related to the bill and sort through materials submitted by others.

Tammy Gordon, an associate professor of history at NC State and the creator of the site, said the goal is to create a central location for understanding the diverse experiences related to HB2 and associated events. As a public historian, Gordon is seeking primary source materials that scholars and citizens can study today and in the future.

“The archive will only be able to function properly if it captures a diversity of experiences, so we encourage individuals on all sides of the issue to share their stories,” Gordon said.

Each submission is reviewed before it is posted, to be sure it fulfills the criteria of the collection — a repository of individual experiences associated with the bill and other events.

Examples of items submitted to the site include photos from an HB2 rally, Keep NC Safe pool safety tips and coloring pages and an individual’s personal narrative related to the bill.

Items that are widely available elsewhere, such as newspaper and journal articles, are not ideal submissions to the site. In addition, stories, videos or images that make threats or are not protected by law will not find an outlet in this forum.

Anyone with questions about the archive can contact Gordon at tammy_gordon@ncsu.edu.

Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed on the website, NC HB2: A Citizens’ History, are solely those of the contributors and do not state or reflect those of NC State University.