Embedded Files
The Civil Rights Voices Speak Project aims to preserve the voices of a fading generation which can still provide firsthand accounts of historic events pertaining to the civil rights movement. This generation of civil rights supporters includes individuals connected with Alabama State University-related civil rights episodes, most notably, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956, student sit-in movement of 1960, and the voting rights march of 1965. Interviews in this project focus on persons who were:
- important, but played secondary roles in the civil rights movement
- involved in Alabama State University’s history, related to civil rights activities
- spouses or relatives of major civil rights leaders
- ordinary citizens drawn into civil rights activities because they identified with the goals of the movement.
"Oral histories provide the opportunity to dig deeper into historical events. “There is a rich tradition throughout Africa of oral storytelling… (The importance of oral histories in the African American community originates from the rich tradition of storytelling in Africa.) The transmission of knowledge, history and experience in West Africa was mainly through the oral tradition and performance rather than on written texts. Oral traditions guide social and human morals, giving people a sense of place and purpose.”
"Oral histories provide the opportunity to dig deeper into historical events. “There is a rich tradition throughout Africa of oral storytelling… (The importance of oral histories in the African American community originates from the rich tradition of storytelling in Africa.) The transmission of knowledge, history and experience in West Africa was mainly through the oral tradition and performance rather than on written texts. Oral traditions guide social and human morals, giving people a sense of place and purpose.”
Even when there is extensive written sources available about someone — such as a politician — certain subjective information may not be available. Traditional media, speeches, and government documents may reveal significant useful information, but often neglect more personal and private experiences. Through oral histories, we can uncover the hopes, feelings, aspirations, disappointments, family histories, and personal experiences of the interviewee. By doing so, we are able to make connections regarding historical events that were not previously understood. The window to capture these voices is gradually closing, many of these first hand witnesses are becoming incommunicable or they are passing away.
Thus, the Civil Rights Voices Speak project provides valuable information not usually found in, but supplementary to, traditional historical sources, helping to expand our knowledge of a transformative movement in American history. The project will not only document the role played by individuals on the front lines of the freedom crusades; it will authenticate the part played by ordinary persons effectuating significant changes in society.
The project utilizes cultural programming and digital media to reach and engage the public. The project can serve as a teaching tool that also preserves American history. We firmly believe the information gathered is of interest to scholars and everyday citizens.
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