Toccarra Alexandria Holmes Thomas
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
I express here my sincerest appreciation and gratitude for your financial
support, which has afforded me the extraordinary placement within the Smithsonian
Institution’s Museum of Natural History Research Training Program class
of 2003.
The RTP program is one in which aspiring, young researchers conduct investigations with unparallel resources, under the careful guidance of world-renowned scientists. In my case, I had the honor of being mentored by Mary Jo Arnoldi, a respected ethnographer and curator of African art. My assignment was to document, through the collection of interviews and visual references, the participation of musicians and performers from Mali during the 37th Annual Folklife Festival and attempt to convey the cultural implications of their artistry.
My work here has been both enlightening and inspiring, and I have been encouraged to continue my investigation through a visit to the West African county, after I complete formal studies of one of the nation’s indigenous languages, Bambara. The preparation in concert with my experience at the Smithsonian will help a great deal in my development as an anthropologist and documentary filmmaker.
I am a student at Smith College with a love for capturing the extraordinary diversities among people. I have been documenting the life, work, and cultural circumstances of people with projects such as October 2002 Washington, D.C. antiwar protest at the Capital, as well as filming a short documentary on the life of street musicians in Northampton, MA. Those efforts were reasonably successful. However, to properly record and interpret data reflecting the human experience one needs a good deal of training in the area ethical research and documentation, plus the technical skills to be a relatively self-sufficient investigator. My training here at the Smithsonian has put me well on the way toward meeting these goals of making ethnographic films that demonstrate integrity, honesty, and most importantly accuracy.
I shall always be grateful for having been selected to join the RTP class of 2003 and the financial support that made it possible for the Institute to extend the invitation.
Sincerest Regards,
Toccarra Alexandria Holmes Thomas
Research Training Program, 2003
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