The best part of Dr. Nashid Madyun’s day is uncovering the untold stories housed within the Meek-Eaton Southeastern Regional Black Archives. Madyun is the director of the black archives and research center, and as a historian, his own research is focused on African-American’s contributions in the military during the 20th century.
 
“I think we overlook the leadership that came from these individuals and the confidence they had re-integrating into society,” says Madyun, who presented on the roles of African-Americans in the Spanish American War at the Museum of Florida History last month.

Shedding light on these seminal histories is just one facet of Madyun’s role at the archive. He also oversees the Kinsey Collection, an assemblege of historical artifacts, documents and art that celebrates African-American culture.

“Flourishing Roots of Our Past” displays valuable documents such as manumission papers from the post-civil war reconstruction era alongside works from painter and cartographer Grafton Tyler Brown and Zora Neale Hurston’s literary letters. The collection has traveled the U.S. and abroad and is currently on display at FAMU. 

“Auction block papers let us know that we’re not too far removed from an era where people were dehumanized and stripped of their dignity,” states Madyun. “These are documents that you won’t find anywhere else. It reminds us that there are a lot of stories yet to be told. The stories behind those documents are what are important to me.”
 
As director, Madyun’s responsibilities involve discovering artifacts to support research, taking that research and presenting it to the public and finding financial support to grow the collections. His passion for history stems from his parents contributions to the field. Madyun’s mother was a local historian and his father ran an African-American newspaper in the late 1970s.  
 
Additionally, two innovative women shaped him early on in his career and influenced his personal style as a director. The first was Bobbie Heffington, former deputy director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Madyun admired Heffington’s ability to manage different types of museums from living history exhibits to collections on Southern culture. The second was Deanie Parker, President of  Soulsville in Memphis when Madyun was Director of the STAX Museum of American Soul Music. 

“[Deanie] was more dynamic and innovative in terms of marketing and audience development and [Bobbie] was very practical and structured as far as how museums should and are expected to work,” says Madyun. “I like to think I embody some of both and think of those two often.” 
 
Madyun first worked with the Department of Arkansas Heritage before working for the Delta Cultural Center as a historian and curator. He provided hands-on southern culture to audiences on the topics of blues, delta geography folkways and folk life. 
 
While at the STAX Museum, Texas State History Museum and Hampton University’s museum, he developed custom exhibits and grew audiences for each of their unique historical offerings. Now managing the 13 galleries and archives at FAMU, he hopes to give locals and visitors to the southeastern region a reason to keep coming back. 

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