Interview with Althea (Vicki) Silvera

              Caribbean Diaspora Oral History Collection
Interview with Althea (Vicky) Silvera
Miami, FL, November 6, 2015
Interview asm0344000003
Interviewed by Lucrèce Louisdhon-Louinis
Recorded by Javier Carrion
Outline by Kriti Sood
Length: 00:43:15
Interview with Althea (Vicki) Silvera, Archives and Special Collections Department Head at Florida International University. She was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States to attend college at the age of 18. Althea believes herself to be heavily influenced by her father and grandfather who were resilient and great story tellers. She majored in history and minored in education and initially planned to become a teacher, but after college she went back to Jamaica and started her first job at the National Archives. She worked there for six years, before she was offered a position at UCLA, where she worked four years on the Marcus Garvey and UNIA Papers Project. After moving to Miami, she initially taught Caribbean literature at FIU before becoming the Head of Special Collections and University Archivist. Althea is responsible for the tremendous growth of the Caribbean collection and special collections at FIU.
This interview forms part of the Caribbean Diaspora Oral History Collection of the University of Miami Libraries Special Collections.
This oral history expresses the views, memories and opinions of the interviewee. It does not represent the viewpoints of the University of Miami, its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The University of Miami makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interview and expressly disclaims any liability therefor.
Copyright to this interview lies with the University of Miami. It may not be reproduced, retransmitted, published, distributed, or broadcast without the permission of the University of Miami Libraries Special Collections. For information about obtaining copies or to request permission to publish any part of this interview, please contact Special Collections at asc@miami.edu.
INTERVIEW OUTLINE
 00:00:11: Introduction
 00:00:38: I think this time we are going to start a little bit differently than most of them because I am curious about the fact that you said that you have two names. And there is a story behind the two names. And since we are going to talk about your childhood, your birthplace, where you grew up and things like that. Let’s start there.
 00:03:28: Well that is an amazing story. I know I love Vicky – it is friendly and open. When I was researching and reading about you, I said I do like Vicky for her.
 00:03:45: Althea is more mature. I guess sometimes that is what happens. We outgrow the other name… Well it depends on how you look at maturity now. If you look at it the way you look at Althea then you will be fine. So as a child who was the most influential person in your life?
 00:06:23: So the two men in your life…So with your father you learned that the struggle is just that. You just got to go through and do what you have to do and keep moving forward and keep going. Your grandfather, the storyteller, so what stories did you learn from him?
 00:06:51: Any ancestries?
 00:07:43: Okay, so what I’m getting from you is your love of history. Could we say that you got that from that far back? From the stories? So these are the events that kind of led you into what you are doing today?
 00:09:31: It became alive. It became something organic for you. So you could see where you were going to go with that. So that got you into this line of work, so to speak? So in college you majored in?
 00:11:25: So that must have been an amazing experience.
 00:12:49: Did you have a chance to teach at all?
 00:13:12: So you spent six years there and then you decided to make a change?
 00:13:42: And that was part of their collection? It became a part of their collection?
 00:14:11: And these have been digitized now?
 00:14:28: Alright, so in the US, besides UCLA. Did you do work in any other capacities?
 00:16:25: And she doesn’t have to say anything, right? She just has to stand there.
 00:16:38: People like that just make an impression. Between you and her, and your Cuban counterpart the students had…
 00:16:59: Because you know Caribbean studies is one of the things that in some colleges you wonder what exactly it is. Sometimes the curriculum you are looking at it and you say okay, we are still looking for the Caribbean part, right?
 00:17:42: That is quite the experience. You should get together…
 00:18:03: And I think in Miami we have UM, FIU too, we do good efforts in bringing people who can speak.
 00:18:40: So at FIU you played a major role in revamping the special collection, to make this important. And this collection here, I know, started very little and from what I have read and from little conversations when I was doing things at UM. So this collection started very slow. But here you are, coming in here with this force of nature and just like any other Caribbean woman that knows what she wants, uhuh, that’s not it. So tell me how you just did that?
 00:21:20: So it is a lot of gift and donations and I always said when I was a library administrator that we are the best beggars. We are professional beggars. So we are good at that. And people actually thank us for begging.
 00:22:20: So you receive many accolades for your work? Which one is best for you?
 00:23:31: No, it has been a reminder of how impactful you have been in your teaching. And that is all that it is. And that is an amazing thing. That is the legacy…Well that is a living legacy. And the students who came back, the mother, so that carries on even though you aren’t teaching class, but if you remember and the mother remembers after all these years. So it is not about the age thing, it is fluid. But the impact, the fact that you did such an amazing job. And again on the same topic of begging or stealing or lending as you said, how many people have you touched out with? If you can think back, every time you bring a collection in, what happens?
 00:25:37: So you have been in these relationships long? But it is worth that time; psychologically they have to be ready.
 00:26:11: That I never thought of, I thought most your collections were from people that passed away.
 00:26:38: So in that case once a collection is put together, and catalogued, you invite them?
 00:27:08: So you become a lending resource for museums and other places?
 00:27:30: Do you also work with outside of Miami and other museums?
 00:27:47: That will be something. You know, we had the chance to visit the National Library to do an exchange with the national library. So that will be something. So for your career, would that be a very high point for you?
 00:28:12: It’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? When you can do that?
 00:29:04: Is that the one Ms. Brooks was working on?
 00:29:14: That is absolutely a way to get the word out and to get access to many of these materials. People would never know they exist if it wasn’t for that. So it is amazing work that you do here. Alright, so let’s see. I read about the Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza collection online and the grand opening because I have a friend who is Cuban and she was telling me, you are the librarian, I know you know about this. But at that time I was traveling, so I had no idea. I wasn’t at the library anymore, so go online and you can find what you find.
 00:32:00: I saw online. The before pictures were wow. I was wondering where he lived? What space was taken?
 00:33:47: So, one man did all of that? Wow, because I was looking at the pictures online and it is totally amazing.
 00:34:29: Because, there is the Cuban history…
 00:34:45: Well, how do you think people will remember you? What is the legacy that you want to leave?
 00:36:36: And to the general public. Whoever walks in here has access. And that is the real meaning of access. And we always say the library is the only democratic institution where anybody can walk in.
 00:37:59: Well, is there anything that I did not touch on that you must share with the next generation.
 00:38:59: That is an excuse, but not a reason. And it is interesting how that phrase, people started to believe in it. So if something happened in the 1940s, but I wasn’t born yet. What does that have to do with anything? To give you an inclination of how uneducated the new generation is…
 00:40:20: Well it says something because a lot of, especially for the generation, because at times the environment is not created for them. Everyone is making assumptions that they are not interested. So they just give them a pass. Whereas if we were to engage them. I mean now they are very smart, they have access to everything. Putting them on the right track…
 00:41:20: It’s just a matter of tapping into it. And nurturing it. There is a lot of nurturing that has not been done. Well Vicky, I don’t know what to say. I am speechless because you have done an amazing job because there is a lot of work out there. There are a lot of good people that do work. But there is a difference between doing good work and work that can impact and from this angle and that is what makes this institution, and FIU, and a combination of the special collections even more valuable. So thank you for what you have done and just keep it up.
 00:42:12: There is that, and then there is what you are going to do.
 00:42:31: And at this point you are just having fun with it. And so many students can benefit from your experience and what you have done. So thank you so much for this interview, the Diaspora project will be quite an amazing thing. We already have others, but this addition is amazing. Thank you.
 00:43:15: END OF INTERVIEW