Oral History for Social Change
Groundswell is a dynamic network of oral historians, activists, cultural workers, community organizers, and documentary artists.
The Freedom Archives contains over 12,000 hours of audio and video recordings as well as print materials dating primarily from the late-1960s to the mid-90s. Read more about their work in this article by Lincoln Bergman, Freedom Archives Co-founder and Volunteer.
Read MoreGroundswell Communications Coordinator Fanny García explores the impact of the June 29th Families Belong Together Rally in New York City for which she recorded audio and interviewed participants.
Read MoreGroundswell: Oral History for Social Change has launched a blog series called “Groundswell Network Boost” to promote the work of projects throughout the country using oral history for social change. This interview with the Testimony Project in collaboration with the New Sanctuary Coalition in New York City discusses the project and its successes as well as the challenges that arise when documenting the voices of immigrants in the United States threatened with deportation.
Read MoreIn this Practitioner Support Network, oral historians Allison Corbett and Fanny Garcia explore language justice and and why it matters in doing oral history work with communities that use various languages.
Read MoreOn Saturday, August 12th 2017, the Freedom Archives hosted the Bay Area premiere of their new documentary “Symbols of Resistance” at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Speaking to a capacity audience of 250 people, the film crew opened the event by discussing the Symbols of Resistance event, held in Colorado in 2014, which originally sparked the filmmaking process.
Read MoreThe PSN centered around reflecting on lessons learned during the project “Summer for Respect: Organizing and Oral History” which was inspired by the anniversary of the Freedom Summer of 1964. Terrell was working with Columbia sociologist Adam Reich when Reich was approached by the UFCWabout working together on a project with student organizers and Walmart workers. Students were to conduct oral histories as part of their work as organizers in the field. Terrell led the oral history component and the union did the fieldwork training and organizing. Terrell started the PSN with a description of the project.
Read MoreAs the Core Working Group for Groundswell: Oral History for Social Change, the recent events in Charlottesville are at the forefront of our minds and hearts. We mourn the deaths in Charlottesville as well as the structural and state violence that perpetuate racism and white supremacy. Though we know that racism, white supremacy, and hate groups have always existed in the United States, we recognize that this is a particular moment in which white supremacists feel emboldened to act...
Read MoreThe Freedom Archives contains over 12,000 hours of audio and videotapes, as well as thousands of paper materials, which date from the late-1960s to the mid-90s and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay Area, the United States, and international movements for justice. The archives contain in-depth oral interviews; reports on social and cultural topics; voices of organizers, activists and political prisoners; and pamphlets, journals and other materials from radical political organizations and social movements. These materials represent a commitment to anti-imperialism, human rights, and highlighting marginalized voices and organizations normally unheard or distorted in establishment media.
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