On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Rebecca Brenner Graham reminds us how oral history can validate and preserve individual traumas from such a harrowing time. By Rebecca Brenner Graham The September 11, 2001 attacks occurred twenty years ago. Five years ago, I conducted a series of oral history […]
OHR solicited essays on the implications of interviewing during and about COVID-19. We are excited to publish these online today, and in print in the upcoming issue. By Janneken Smucker, Abigail Perkiss, and David Caruso Back in April, which simultaneously feels like two days ago and two years ago, the OHR editorial team contemplated how […]
In our most recent issue, Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla discusses the role of laughter—as distinct from humor—during oral history interviews in “Laughter in Oral Histories of Displacement: ‘One Goes on a Mission to Solve Their Problems,’” demonstrating the unconscious role of emotions in processing memories. Why should we study laughter within the context of oral history interviews? […]
In last week’s post, we featured articles from the OHR archive that use oral history to help readers consider issues related to anti-racism. Today we recommend books reviewed in past issues that will further our exploration of white privilege, civil rights, and systemic racism. In this second installment of our recommended reading list, editorial interns […]
Following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in hundreds of cities, hundreds of thousands of people have protested systematic racism broadly, and police brutality specifically. One of the most important things we can do is educate ourselves on the history and oppression of the Black community and the ways activists have challenged […]
In our latest installment of OHR Conversations, our recorded conversations with oral history practitioners and scholars, Na Li and OHR co-editor Janneken Smucker discuss her recent OHR article, “History, Memory, and Identity: Oral History in China,” examining the popular and public role of oral history in shaping Chinese consciousness. OHR Conversations, between Na Li and […]
OHR has committed to being a forum for discussions among practitioners regarding ways to ethically and logistically conduct interviews in the face of COVID-19. Kicking off this series is Stephanie Snow and Angela Whitecross from the Centre for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine, at the University of Manchester, project leaders of NHS at […]
Prince Vlad, a pseudonym the author of this post uses to protect his identity, shares an account of how he interviewed an El Salvadorian gang member after earning his trust, only to learn soon after that his informant had been murdered. By Prince Vlad In the first two months of this year, 234 people were […]
Oral history provides the opportunity to explore intersubjectivity and positionality. Here, Daniel Clarkson Fisher shares his work with the Chinese Jamaican Oral History Project centered in Toronto. The moving video excerpts from interviews below demonstrate shared authority in practice. By Daniel Clarkson Fisher During the 1970s, North America became home to thousands of new immigrants […]
In their recent OHR article, “Migration and Inclusive Transnational Heritage: Digital Innovation and the New Roots Latino Oral History Initiative,” Hannah Gill, Jaycie Vos, Laura Villa-Torres, Maria Silvia Ramirez demonstrate how the New Roots Latino Oral History Initiative engages with and documents immigrant populations. Here Gill answers a few of our questions about the project. […]
