Oral History for Social Change
Groundswell is a dynamic network of oral historians, activists, cultural workers, community organizers, and documentary artists.
On May 31st, a group of six joined PSN moderators Fernanda Espinosa and Amy Starecheski to share ideas about the radical roots of our oral history practices. The topic is part of a larger project on the radical roots of public history. Amy and Fernanda are working to collect projects with a radical perspective to include in a future publication.
Read MoreIn this fractured time, how do we listen to workers’ stories? This PSN is a chance for workers, oral historians, activists, and anyone else who considers listening essential to advancing economic justice share ideas with one another about how we listen to workers and what we do with what we learn.
Read MoreOral history is not just something that historians do to create sources for archives. As part of a larger collective research project to document the radical roots of oral history and begin a process of decolonizing oral history practices, we invite you to join this video chat to share the roots of your radical oral history practice. What inspired you to do this work? How did you learn? Who are your oral history ancestors and mentors?
Read MoreThis PSN explores the role of storytelling and listening for activists and organizers who are, want to be, or need to be involved in fundraising. The chat will examine the various roles narrative can play in working with individual donors, volunteers, boards, grants, and foundations -- as well as the ways utilizing storytelling might support, or perhaps undermine, the social justice work of our organizations.
Read MoreOn February 3, a group of us met via video chat to discuss "E-Security for Oral Historians in the Age of Trump." Here is a reportback from our conversation, and some resources we collected. Thanks to all who participated!
Read MoreAs people using oral history for social justice, we often collaborate with and record the stories of people, such as undocumented immigrants or queer and trans people, who are particularly vulnerable to potential harm if their stories are shared in ways they did not consent to. And as activists, we may be targets of surveillance. What do social justice oral historians need to know about cyber security? Where do we draw the line between being paranoid and being naive? In this chat, we will share strategies and skills for managing electronic security for oral history projects.
Read MoreIndigenous-led movements like that to protect the water at Standing Rock highlight the power of ancestral wisdom in transformative change. As movement-oriented oral historians and practitioners, how can the process and practice of oral history help us root ourselves in the wisdom of our own traditions and ancestors?
Read MoreDear Groundswell Community,
We experienced a lot in 2016. A presidential election that shook this country to its core. Native American led organizing against environmental destruction and for Native sovereignty. Black led organizing against police brutality and anti-Blackness. Movements led by undocumented people against their exploitation and criminalization. Many personal and collective tragedies and triumphs. And everything in between.
As we approach 2017, may we be reminded of the power of people’s voices (and the documentation of these voices) in the building of strong, inclusive, liberatory social movements.
Read MoreLearning from our Elders: Interviewing Activists from Past Generations: November 17, 3-4:15 PM EST
Oral History, Art & Activism: A Radical Mix for Social Change: NEW DATE & TIME: December 2, 2016 3-4:15 PM EST
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Fall PSNs start Oct 20 with a conversation about how to talk about money in an oral history interview.
Read MoreWe hear a lot about immigrants in the media. It’s a story we all think we know about how times in Mexico and Central America are hard and how this hardship drives men and women to cross borders and take other people’s jobs. Many of us want to help, some of us want these people to return to their country of origin, but few of us take the time to ask questions and listen. Mainstream media rarely let immigrants speak for themselves.
Read MoreAt the 2016 Allied Media Conference, Groundswell organized two sessions and a lunch gathering, while Groundswell members organized and participated in countless other workshops and events...
Read MoreAs you undoubtedly know, the 50th anniversary conference of OHA that will be convening October 12th has been faced with a serious problem. When the Long Beach Renaissance Hotel was initially booked two years ago, there was no labor issue. However, subsequently, UNITE-HERE has been trying unsuccessfully to organize the hotel and has placed it on an unfair list...
Read MoreStoryCorps, the national oral history project, is launching the Justice Project – an initiative that will amplify and preserve the stories of people whose lives have been impacted by mass incarceration and the justice system nationwide We hope to use this and other Groundswell spaces to generate response, engagement, and reflection as we build this project. Please help us build the best project possible.
Read MoreJoin members of the grassroots archival collective XFR (pronounced "transfer") Collective for a conversation about how to organize, safeguard, and archive oral history materials. What questions should you ask as you begin an archival project? What kinds of tools might you use to make sure that your digital and paper files are findable? Bring your own questions, and join us for what we hope will be just the start of an ongoing conversation.
Read MoreOn May 26th, seven women-identified oral history practitioners gathered for May’s PSN, Self-Care for Social Justice Oral Historians. Our sharing circled above a loving attention to our bodies and the ways in which they communicate their profound knowing to us. In the social justice and oral history communities in which many of us operate, the idea of caring for ourselves is regarded as an afterthought, internalized as secondary to “the real work”.
Read MoreThe first thing that struck me about Listening through Time and Place: An Oral History Exhibit was the size of it. The information to wade in was both wide and deep. An average of four—and often more—five- to 10-minute excerpts of life history interviews featured in each of twelve exhibits may not sound overwhelming until you realize that each excerpt is designed as a gateway not just to that person’s life, but to an entire zeitgeist.
Read MoreIn oral history, deep listening requires the interviewer to open themselves to the narrator's stories. Such stories can be challenging and even painful. We often discuss how to support our narrators in telling difficult stories, but rarely how to take care of ourselves as we listen to them. In this chat we will build on conversations, in both the academic and the activist world, about burnout and resilience. The goal is to share experiences and develop self-care strategies for social justice oral historians.
Read MoreOn March 10th, 2016, twelve people participated in the PSN Chat titled "Success Stories: From Oral History to Social Change". Practitioners Alisa del Tufo, Manissa McCleave Maharawal, and Mark D. Naison shared their experiences in successfully engaging oral history in service of social justice. Here is a video report back of the chat.
Read MoreBefore you read further, please google the phrase East Garfield Park. Okay, aside from the ubiquitous Wiki entry, what did you find? Our guess is you saw mostly hits that involved crime and gentrification in some way. The mainstream dominant media portrays this community in the heart of Chicago’s West Side as crime ridden, poverty stricken, and little else. East Garfield Park organizations and residents strive to rewrite this narrative.
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