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“ African American Voices: Between Two Rivers ” Sponsored By Neuse River Community Development Corporation, Inc The North Carolina Humanities Council, Inc. 2008

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“ Their Stories Our History ” A Beginner’s Guide to an Oral History Community Project

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<ul><li>To develop an Oral History collection </li></ul><ul><li>To identify African Americans who have made major contributions to the community . </li></ul><ul><li>To create and maintain a collection on the African American history -makers of New Bern, North Carolina </li></ul><ul><li>To establish a small photograph collection for a publication in 2010. </li></ul>Project Goal

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<ul><li>Partnerships </li></ul><ul><li>North Carolina Humanities Council, Inc. </li></ul><ul><li>The Neuse River Community Development Corporation, Inc. </li></ul><ul><li>The Craven County Public Library </li></ul><ul><li>Southern Historical Oral History Program at UNC </li></ul>The Collaboration Initiative

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The Sustainability of the Project <ul><li>The African American Oral History Collection will be housed in the local library and at the Southern Oral History program at UNC. </li></ul><ul><li>An on-going research on the history of African Americans in Craven County which will be available locally & nationally. </li></ul><ul><li>The Neuse River Community Development Corporation will continue to add to the collection. </li></ul><ul><li>Updated information continue to be put on the Organization’s website. </li></ul>

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The Outcomes <ul><li>A better understanding of African American culture and contributions through community voices. </li></ul><ul><li>We will add a major African American Oral History collection to the local library in this community. </li></ul><ul><li>To ensure the preservation of these voices are secured at a major state repository . </li></ul><ul><li>On-going access for local students and the community at large to: </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Discovery </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Teaching </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Researching the history of African </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Americans in the city of New Bern. </li></ul></ul></ul>

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The Project Team <ul><li>Oral History Committee for the city of New Bern. </li></ul><ul><li>Project Director </li></ul><ul><li>Transcriber, Interviewers and Interviewees </li></ul><ul><li>Local Library Staff </li></ul><ul><li>Community Participants & NRCDC Board Members </li></ul><ul><li>Local Historians </li></ul>

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The Oral History Community Project <ul><li>“ More Than Just Words” </li></ul><ul><li>it is </li></ul><ul><li>The Beginning: New Voices </li></ul>

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What We Will Cover <ul><li>Planning an interview project </li></ul><ul><li>Conducting Interviews </li></ul><ul><li>Questions & Release Forms </li></ul><ul><li>Transcribing the Interviews </li></ul><ul><li>Equipment Use and Archiving Interviews Collection </li></ul><ul><li>Your Questions </li></ul>

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The Consent & Release Forms <ul><li>The Consent/Release form is a contract between your Organization, the interviewer and the interviewee. </li></ul><ul><li>It provides all parties with information about </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>What can be expected </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>What everyone’s rights are and </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Provides the legal basis for use of the interview by researchers, the Institution and/or Organization for exhibit, online content, and publication . </li></ul></ul></ul>

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Who to Interview <ul><li>Who are the African American history makers? </li></ul><ul><li>Do you have the names of potential interviewees? </li></ul><ul><li>How many interviews will we conduct? </li></ul><ul><li>We want to capture “their stories” in their own words. </li></ul>

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So much to think about & we haven’t interviewed anyone yet! <ul><li>Oral histories are NOT gathered to fill shelf space. </li></ul><ul><li>We gather oral histories so that current and future generations will have resources to help them contextualize, question and understand their history from a variety of perspectives. </li></ul><ul><li>The method in which you record an interview effects how useful it will be and may also effect how long it will be accessible. </li></ul><ul><li>Your documentation determines how effective the interview will be. </li></ul>

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Pre-Interview <ul><li>Prepare for the interview </li></ul><ul><li>( Research biography, background, history, context) </li></ul><ul><li>Develop open–ended questions. *Avoid questions the elicit yes/no answers. </li></ul><ul><li>Contact the potential interviewees – Explain: </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>The purpose of project </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>How their recollections are important as well as, what is involved in an oral history interview </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Inform the interviewee that you will be giving them forms & information on the project. </li></ul><ul><li>In some cases, you may want someone known to the interviewee to make the initial contact. </li></ul>

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Transcription Suggestions <ul><li>One person will transcribe. </li></ul><ul><li>A 2 nd person will listen to the interview and edit the transcription. </li></ul><ul><li>Reconcile all differences between the initial transcription and edited version. </li></ul><ul><li>Send a copy of the interview and transcript to the interviewee. </li></ul><ul><li>Ask interviewee to review transcript and send in any corrections. </li></ul><ul><li>Give a specific time frame and let him or her know that after a certain time you will assume there are no corrections. </li></ul>

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Keep the Interviewee in the Loop <ul><li>What are the standards for transcription? </li></ul><ul><li>The transcript is a visual “guide to interview” content . It is an interpretation of the audio of what was said. </li></ul><ul><li>The recording of the interview is the “physical artifact” It is the most authentic record of the interview. </li></ul><ul><li>Follow up with a “Thank You” note for their time and contribution. This should be done when sending a copy of the transcript. </li></ul>

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Our focus will be on Digital Equipment <ul><li>Digital Recorders </li></ul><ul><li>CD Recorders </li></ul><ul><li>Digital Dictation Recorders </li></ul>

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African American Voices: Between Two Rivers Oral History Project

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IT IS A TIME FOR CHANGE ! <ul><li>Making a difference in the African American community </li></ul><ul><li>The History Makers </li></ul><ul><li>Voices: Residents in the community having their say! </li></ul>

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Let’s Begin the Greatest Project in this County

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Special Thanks <ul><li>Members of the Neuse River Community Development Corporation, Inc. </li></ul><ul><li>The North Carolina Humanities Council, Inc. </li></ul><ul><li>The Community Participants </li></ul><ul><li>“ Bernard George, Project Director” </li></ul><ul><li>Tharesa Lee, Communications </li></ul>

21.
Linda Simmons-Henry Senior Archivist, Oral Historian & Project Consultant Saint Augustine’s College