F.B. Eyes Digital Archive
Reviewed by: Julesa Grimes
Review started: February 13, 2023
Review last updated: March 10, 2023
Site Link
Data and Sources
- 51 FBI files on prominent African American authors and literary institutions
- William J. Maxwell's F.B. Eyes book project
Processes
- The primary source is unchanged.
- A brief history of each author and literary institution is provided.
Presentation
- Information is presented via a searchable website that divides FBI files by the names of authors and literary institutions.
Digital Tools Used
- Omeka
- RSS
- Modernizr
- jQuery
- Red Hat
Languages
- English
Review
The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the golden age for African American artists, began in the early 1920s.The Renaissance led to the creation of a plethora of literary works and gave African Americans a platform to express new ideals, some of which were seen as detrimental by J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hoover commissioned “ghostreaders” who monitored the literary work and lives of prominent African American writers and literary institutions.
The goal of this web based digital archive is to expose the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s secretive observation of literary work created by African Americans beginning in 1919. F.B. Eyes Digital Archive is composed of 51 FBI files regarding African American Authors as well as literary institutions with examples being Shirley Graham Du Bois, Langston Hughes and The Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School. These files were released due to William J. Maxwell's, the author of F.B. Eyes: How J. Edgar Hoover’s Ghostreaders Framed African American Literature,Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. This archive acts as a digitization of the source material for Maxwell's book.
Users are able to engage with the archive by selecting from a list of 51 institutions and prominent African American authors. This allows users to set their own pace and choose the order in which they want to explore the files. Readers are presented with portraits and a brief biography of targeted individuals and institutions. The biographies not only provide context but also humanizes the subjects and provides insight to their contributions whether they be literary, political or otherwise. Readers can review the extensive notes taken by FBI “ghostreaders” which are presented as scanned copies of the original artifacts allowing readers to view the notes verbatim. The implementation of the scanned documents as opposed to transcriptions creates a more immersive experience that allows the reader to have a unique glimpse of these “ghostwriters” perception of not just African American literature, but their lives in the early 20th century.