Fall Semester Buchanan Library Fellowship: Giving Voice to Afro-Hispanic Life and Culture through the Collections of Manuel and Delia Zapata Olivella
Recipients of this Buchanan Library Fellowship will research and curate an online exhibit on a theme relating to Vanderbilt’s Afro-Hispanic Zapata Olivella collections. Manuel Zapata Olivella (1920-2004) was known throughout Latin America as the “Dean of Black Literature” and is considered one of the 20th century’s most important Afro-Hispanic narrators. He was also a noted Colombian anthropologist, folklorist, physician, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Delia (1926-2001), sister of Manuel, focused on performance arts and preserved African dance traditions and their African heritage of music and dance. She led an African dance troupe throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Russia. Their work to document and preserve the history and culture of people of African descent in the Americas through oral history, television, radio, and literature is legendary. Vanderbilt’s Special Collections houses their personal papers consisting of manuscripts, correspondence, publications, tapes, interviews, scrapbooks, and photographs. The fellowship requires a five-hour weekly commitment. Knowledge of Spanish is required. Of interest to students in Spanish, history, anthropology, and Latin American Studies. This program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Contact: Paula Covington and Carla Beals
The Buchanan Library Fellowship program provides immersive learning experiences that develop career-ready skills and support lifelong learning in undergraduate students. Fellows work in multidisciplinary cohorts on tactical projects for Vanderbilt Libraries over the course of a semester to make library collections more accessible or shed new light on a collection or topic. At the end of the semester, fellows present their work and share their findings with the Vanderbilt community. Fellows are paid $1,000 for their work. Apply Here