In engaging with bell hooks’ concept of the “love ethic” from her work ‘Salvation: Black People and Love’, my work interrogates how love— as a transformative force and also as a methodological approach—can deeply influence the archival process. It proposes that by embodying love in their approach and their work, both the artist and the archivist can create a more empathetic and inclusive archive that preserves and also celebrates the nuanced histories of marginalised communities.
Through a personal narrative, I explore how the act of loving the subjects of our study—whether people, objects, or memories—can transform the archival space into one of active engagement and restoration. This approach does not merely catalogue the past but seeks to understand and honour the emotional and spiritual dimensions of historical experiences. By embracing the love ethic, the archive becomes a space where forgotten histories are remembered and infused with dignity and life, offering a counter-narrative to the often sterile and impersonal nature of traditional historical inquiry.
As I reflect on my own experience with grief and identity, and as I engage with archival material, I continually return to the essential questions, “Who do we love?” and “How do we remember?” These questions guide the reimagining of the archive as a place of memory and also of healing, challenging the narratives of victimisation and passive suffering that frequently dominate the histories of diasporic populations. My research thus advocates for a historiography that is rooted in love, care, and the active participation of the subjects it seeks to represent, ensuring that their voices and stories are not merely preserved but are also celebrated as vital parts of the human experience.