The photographer and archivist for the Charles “Teenie Harris” Archive talks about the importance of storytelling in front of and behind the camera.
By Ervin Dyer, Madison Stokes and Obianuju Okoye
This story is part of the series, Pittsburgh’s Black Women Cultural Leaders.
Charlene Foggie-Barnett is the Community Archivist for the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
The daughter of civil rights stalwarts Bishop Charles H. Foggie and his wife, Madeline, Foggie-Barnett was born and raised in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District.
Her relationship with the “Teenie” Harris archive is uniquely personal. Because of her family’s prominence in the community, she was regularly photographed by Harris when growing up, and images of her are part of his iconic collection. This connection with the famed photographer’s work has inspired her to nurture the preservation and celebration of her community’s heritage.
Foggie-Barnett has done that work through an extensive and diverse professional career. She’s a member of the board of August Wilson House, the community arts center founded in the Hill District childhood home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. She formerly served as vice president of the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Pittsburgh, and she remains an active member of the Association of African American Museums.
You have to get your hands dirty and actually contribute your skills, not just give a lot of lip service.
Charlene Foggie-Barnett
Foggie-Barnett studied cinema and television in Los Angeles and lived there, doing archival and historical research, from the 1970s to the 1990s. Her numerous roles in front of and behind the camera demonstrate her versatility and innovative approach to storytelling. Despite her Hollywood experiences, Foggie-Barnett is now firmly rooted in Pittsburgh, where she continues to contribute to the community.
Why do you do this work?
My work is inspired by my personal relationship to the artist/photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, who captured my personal and cultural heritage for posterity.
Why is this work important in a city like Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh can be very racist, and the Teenie Harris archive is proof of African Americans’ actual history and lived experiences.
What aspect of your recent work are you most proud of?
Planning the opening of a larger, more comprehensive gallery for Teenie, and being engaged with the reparations report being done with Carnegie Mellon University.
What skills are needed most for the work that you do?
Historic knowledge of Black culture, here in the United States and abroad.
What is the importance of cultural knowledge?
It is necessary for people to know the true history of a group of people.
How did you learn this lesson—in what ways was cultural knowledge passed on to you?
My parents were civil rights and community leaders, so I was raised with this knowledge and the expectation to carry their work forward.
What was some of that knowledge?
You have to get your hands dirty and actually contribute your skills, not just give a lot of lip service.
What books are on your nightstand?
“Murmur,” my son Cameron Barnett’s second (poetry) book, and one on Langston Hughes.
You’re on your way to your fantasy concert—who are you going to see?
Earth, Wind and Fire, Brian McKnight, Journey, and Adele.
What Black woman cultural leaders have inspired you?
Alma Speed Fox [civil rights activist], Lena Horne, Marion Bond Jordan [first executive secretary of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP], Gloria Grate [Hill District entrepreneur]
What have you learned from them?
They taught me that a woman could be strong and determined —yet still a lady.
Is there something special that can be gained from Black woman cultural leaders?
Yes—a strong emphasis on the importance of the family—either by biology or by those you chose to be in your inner circle.
How do we empower and inspire the next generation of Black women’s leadership?
Set an example with the way we live and get involved with organizations that support young Black [women] looking to make an impact with their lives.
What would you like your cultural legacy to be?
That I tried to bring African Americans’ best historic efforts into present-day significance, and taught ways to utilize it for future generations.
Do you have a cultural wish list for Pittsburgh?
Yes, to truly make it a city for everyone, especially Black, Latinx and Asian cultures.
Outside of your work, what are your passions?
Old movies, salsa dancing, sailing, and swimming.
What’s next for you?
To complete a book about the Hill District [told] through my family’s antics and history. It will be called Sugartop, for the name of the community in which we lived.
Ervin Dyer is a writer who focuses his storytelling on Africana life and culture.
Madison Stokes and Obianuju Okoye are with the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation’s Chris Moore Internship program.