Why Writer Athena Dixon Collects Black Memorabilia

Writer Athena Dixon owns hundreds of items of Black memorabilia, ranging from household goods with racist Jim Crow-era artifacts dating back to the early 20th century, such as a 1931 “Colored Entrance Only” sign from Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama, to civil rights movement-era mementos. From segregated water fountain signage to household items such as napkins and tchotchkes, her vast collection spans public and private belongings. How and why did Athena amass such a large collection? Which ones does she display in her home? Why is it so important to her to hold onto these items, and what does she hope people will learn from them? Where are these items still being sold, and what do they say about the history of the United States?Visit the episode page at Open Secrets Magazine to read a transcript.About our guest:Athena Dixon is the author of essay collections The Incredible Shrinking Woman and The Loneliness Files and her work appears in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Shenandoah, Grub Street, Narratively, and Lit Hub among others. She is a Consulting Editor for Fourth Genre and the Nonfiction/Hybrid Editor for Split/Lip Press.athenadixon.comInstagram: @the_muse_paperThe Loneliness FilesFinders and Keepers is hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel and is a production of Open Secrets Magazine. Thank you to Sound Off Network and Dan Schroeder for audio production support. If you like the podcast, we’d greatly appreciate if you’d leave a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts and tell your friends about it to help us reach new listeners. Want to share your own stuff story, tell us who we should interview next, or share your own most treasured possession? Contact us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at speakpipe.com/findersandkeepersFor more about our attachments to our belongings, read the personal essays in the Object-ives and Stuff-ed sections of Open Secrets Magazine at opensecretsmagazine.com, where you can also submit your own essays. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit opensecretsmagazine.com/subscribe