Personal Narratives of History by Project READY

Still hard to wrap my head around

mmueller27 — 2019-08-05 23:02:52 UTC

I read from the Federal Writers Project https://memory.loc.gov/mss/mesn/041/041.pdf pages 1-27. It is still hard for me to understand how we as a country could condone the type of treatment slaves endured. How prideful and arrogant to think of black slaves as property and not as men and women. To read of Pa's being sold off and never seeing them again is heartbreaking. Even though we still see similar depravity today, it's chilling how easily we can dehumanize an entire population and rationalize violent behavior toward other children of God.

2019-08-19 15:30:48 UTC

I listened to the Storycore Justice Project segment about a man who had been incarcerated for 39 years because of the false witness of a boy who was 12 at the time. The boy was pressured by the police. When he was 52, he publicly retracted his testimony and the man he accused was released. The two men met for the first time at Storycore, and the older man did not shy away from talking about how much anger and hatred he felt toward the boy. Then he shared that when he saw him testify he could see both the 12 year old that he was and the man he was now, stepping up and doing the right thing. He was so gracious and forgiving. He said, it's not corny, but I do forgive and I don't forget. The younger man had carried this for so long, and meeting the man who was incarcerated and hearing his words took a great weight off him. I have also just watched the Netflix show about the 5 teens who were unjustly accused and jailed for the rape in Central Park. It reminds me and makes me think of the history of power I have as a white woman with authority to make decisions about how youth of color are treated or penalized in library settings. What biases am I bringing to a situation? What sense of hopelessness or lived experience of injustice is the young person bringing to each encounter? Are my actions adding to that? How do I slow down my brain, reactions and self-talk to really see the person?

Native American Boarding School Narratives

2019-09-05 23:28:29 UTC

I chose to investigate Indian School Narratives, since my grandfather-in-law was educated at an "Indian School" in Oklahoma. I read this paper which collects excerpts from many narratives: https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/5770/ins.v02.n2.57-82.pdf
The general idea of assimilating Native peoples is offensive, but beyond this their school experiences were largely traumatic. The most striking account was of a person that recollected that needles would be driven through their tongues for speaking their native language while another noted that they were forced to brush their teeth with soap with a very high lye content. Another horrifying fact is that the last of these schools were only shut down totally in the 1990's. They were in operation for over 125 years.

2019-09-08 19:09:38 UTC

I read through several of the slave narratives on the site http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36020/36020-h/36020-h.html. It was interesting to me the perspectives these people had, and the relationships they developed with their owners and their owners' families. I find it tragic that they knew no other way of life--when asked about trying to escape, one man asked why he would, as there was nothing out there but a beating. They were sold away from their families and never heard of them again. What a terrible life these people were forced into, the repercussions of which we are still facing today.

Explosive

2019-09-11 14:54:19 UTC

I listened to several recordings of speeches by Malcolm X, particularly http://brothermalcolm.net/mxwords/whathesaidarchive.html. In his introduction, Malcolm X refers to his speech as a "fireside chat", but continues this metaphor into saying that he hopes the conversation doesn't get too "explosive". I see this as an appeal to white fragility, setting the stage for a serious conversation on race relations in 1964 and letting white listeners know ahead of time that the conversation might get uncomfortable for them. Personally, I hate the fact that public and political figures feel that they have to "pre-apologize" for reminding white people of the harsh realities that people of other races, cultures, and belief systems live through constantly, but I think this introduction was a successful way to get listeners of any race into the right mindset for the speech that followed. It is my hope that we will someday live in a world where we do not need to tiptoe around white fragility, yet things still seem as fragile (if not more so) today as they did in 1964.

2019-11-06 21:25:30 UTC

I watched a documentary about the Indian School Kidnappings. Its hard to see, but vital. Multiple people tell their stories, with photos throughout history. You can literally see the suffering on the faces of the children. Its brutal and shameful, and it needs to be seen so we white people can deal with what we've done.

https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/54410/Indian-School--A-Survivor-s-Story

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=643

lar8633 — 2019-11-14 19:42:50 UTC

I read about "Cries-for-Salmon" on "Digital History" The article was the personal history of a girl from birth thru marriage. Her life seems to be all about being a part of the tribe and doing tasks to serve the purposes of the tribe and her future husband. She learns skills to be able to prove herself worthy and skillful to be a good wife. It is interesting to learn how important the sense of community is instead of the American way of individualism.

Stories tell the truth

2020-01-20 22:08:04 UTC

I went to the Gospel music archive via the Black Civil Rights: Primary Source Collections online. It's a collection of original vinyl pressings of Gospel songs, and helps maintain the history of Gospel music through analysis of the original artifacts of the music. This is important because of how much black history (specifically) has been ignored if not outright erased, especially in the music industry. So often, white artists get the support and "plays" without any recognition of their black forebears. It happened in rock and continues to happen in rap. These recordings need to be promoted so we can trace the origins of modern styles. I also viewed a StoryCorps video about a LatinX boy in Chicago who did what he could to support his mom who earned less than $8,000 and year; that same boy is now a man attending college as a first-generation student. This story is important and needs to be tod first-hand, by the person who experienced it. StoryCorps is a good way to lend power to these narratives and provide a way to amplify authenticity.

Lottie Watkins Southern Oral History Project

2020-02-25 16:03:07 UTC

I read about a Black Entrepreneur and and business woman named Lottie Watkins. It was really empowering to read about how early on her family came together to support each and then to support her as she started her own business. In spite of everyone else thinking her business would fail it was a success and it was a one woman business to begin with. I liked how she talked about her involvement in her community outside her job and how her and other Black Women business owners worked to get themselves boards etc. While she had many hurtles to overcome it's pretty awesome to read this story about Lottie's successes.

Sometimes Humanity is What We Need

2020-03-05 03:17:11 UTC

I listened to this story on Storycorps.org. This is a story of two women who meet in an Applebee's after the family of Dawn tells Asma to speak English when out in public and hits her in the face with a mug. Asma was wearing a hijab and stood out at the restaurant in Minnesota. Gearing this story reminds me that while we are all different, we all want to be accepted so we don't lose who we really are. Our heritage is important.
https://storycorps.org/stories/sometimes-humanity-is-what-we-need-two-women-reflect-on-their-unlikely-friendship/

Story of Immigration

2020-03-12 15:15:25 UTC

I read the immigration story of Anna Howard Shaw. I was captivated with the struggle the immigrants had on the ship during the pioneer age. How any of them survived is a true tribute to perseverance. It really makes me think about the living conditions of those prior to getting on a ship and crossing the ocean in search a more promising future. What reality did they experience to risk their lives and those of their children's? Anna watched her mother die and the memory of her lifeless face haunted her. The journey was harrowing, but the reception in America wasn't much better. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=3647

Incarcerated woman

leahdelia2 — 2020-03-18 23:43:12 UTC

https://storycorps.org/stories/savannah-phelan-and-kellie-phelan-080516/
I listened to a brief narrative of a woman who was pregnant in prison. It was really touching and I related to this woman because she was addicted to pain meds after an accident and that lead to her incarceration. I'm also a recovering addict and a mother. My heart went out to her for the shame she felt about her history and it made me realize that a lot of incarcerated women are relatable and not "others." But for my lucky racial and class privilege (and the fact that I'm a lesbian who got pregnant through IVF) that could have been me as a new mother in jail. And I don't think I will be as quick to judge going forward.

The Minor Figure

2020-04-17 13:49:31 UTC

In Saidiya Hartman's "Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments" The lives and experiences of black women at the turn of the century are constructed through documents, pictures, and creative writing. While this is not a primary source for personal narratives, I thought this work was important because it attempts to breathe life into the lives that were deemed unimportant to white sociologists constructing theories about ghettos and black inferiority at the time. In the chapter "A Minor Figure" Hartman analyzes the portrait of a young girl reclined on a fainting chair naked. She deconstructs the sexual violence of the gaze in the picture, and weaves the story of that interaction, of a young girl, no more than 10, most likely fleeing the brutal sharecropping fields of the south for independence, and freedom in the north. Only to be subjected to the gaze of this scientist for a black anatomy study where a young girl assumes the whores pose for the enjoyment of white men in a New York Attic. It is a striking reminder of the ordinary.
I think this is a really important piece of work (the whole book), because while many narratives exist about the time, they were often hand picked, largely about suffering these constructed narratives offer an alternative. Within these lives, subjected to violence as a daily occurrence, there is also hope. A hope of blackness and freedom, to construct lives outside of the ordinary. To challenge systems in revolutionary acts of ones own ownership of self.

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=721

2020-04-24 20:37:01 UTC

This is a link to the declaration released by the Native American students who took over Alcatraz Island in 1969. I had heard of the takeover but knew very few details of the event. I was impressed by their use of mirroring which seemed to be a very powerful way to get their point across, which was how shameful and unfair the US Government has been to the Native Americans.

Historias

2020-05-19 19:59:58 UTC

LIsteing to 2 daughterse describe their father and his last communication with him is universal.

2020-06-05 19:50:20 UTC

Historias
Was so touched by watching two New York city bus drivers titled: 'We Have a Driver's Heart': New York City Bus Operators on Work and Loss During COVID-19. What a brave and wonderful outlook during a very frightening and unprecedented time in our history. I was inspired.

Dear America

2020-06-07 21:14:13 UTC

As a child, I devoured the Dear America diaries like water. Reading Mary Antin's description of life as a Jew in 19th century Russia, and as an immigrant to America, reminded me so much of those books. Though fiction, I was exposed at a young age to a history of struggles of different kinds of girls my age- Irish mill workers, enslaved girls, Russian immigrants, indigenous girls in reeducation schools. It reminds me of the power of books to be doors and the importance of presenting a diversity of narratives to every child and ensuring they have access to fiction as well as nonfiction that can further their understanding. As a white kid in the midwest, I didn't have anyone in my life talking to me about race. Books were, and still are, an invaluable resource.

Haley on Malcolm

2020-06-19 20:39:31 UTC

I read Alex Haley's essay about his relationship with Malcolm X. It was instructive to see how Haley saw Malcolm, the contradictions and the nuanced layers of the man. People often see Malcolm X as single-minded (now and in his life), and Haley's portrayal adds shades and makes him seem less a myth and more a man. I worry that this description makes it seem like Haley's version of Malcolm X. is more palatable to white audiences, and I don't know if that was his goal or even if that is the effect of the piece. I do know that the picture of the man in my head now is more complicated than it was, and I think that can only be a good thing.

Born in Slavery

2020-06-22 17:21:13 UTC

I read the first account of slavery on the LOC link. What struck me most was Mr. Adams' description of how well his owner treated his slaves. I don't doubt that some slaves may have had relatively comfortable lives, but I wonder if it was his youth (only 10-ish) or if his position in the house left him unaware of rougher circumstances in the fields, or if the enslaved people on the plantation truly were content. He later describes how maybe half of the freedmen stay on as sharecroppers and the rest leave the plantation. This may have been an indication of the true nature of their condition. But it can be difficult to acknowledge the full range of experience under slavery while still holding fast to the fact that the system as a whole was brutal. The "smiling slave" narrative in children's literature plays into this conversation.

War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality

2020-06-22 18:02:56 UTC

My mom, a whtie woman, has been a spiritual person for my whole life. She doesn't call herself 'New Age' but she tends to jump on what I would call New Age trends. She does yoga and practices meditation and has always had a reverence for Native American culture.
Growing up, I didn't understand that my mom collecting dream catchers and indigenous artwork and pottery is cultural appropriation.
Reading about the Lakota peoples fight against spiritual appropriation has made me rethink the way I remember my mom's spirituality.
This isn't to say that my mom is a bad person. She does seem to respect and revere Native American culture, but those feelings come from a place of white privilege that I don't think she has ever unpacked.

The Leesburg Stockade Girls, a Forgotten Moment in Civil Rights History

2020-06-22 22:29:33 UTC

I listened to this story in the StoryCorps link. I can't image these girls being imprisoned for 2 months with no one knowing where they were. And that they never talked about it for 50 years.

Story Corps: Jamal Faison

2020-06-23 20:25:54 UTC

I was impressed that Jamal's uncle never walked away from him. It challenges me, would I stand by someone I love that was incarcerated or would I walk away?

LGBTQ Life in the South

2020-06-24 15:33:50 UTC

I listened to a couple of the oral history interviews from the Southern Oral History Program under the LGBTQ Life in the South collection. One I found especially interesting was an interview with Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, who describes herself as
a "queer black feminist troublemaker and love evangelist." She shares experiences coming into her identity as a child and then at Barnard College. As a White queer woman who also attended a women's college, I especially found her reflections on her college as a very White feminist space to be important to hear and absorb. I particularly want to keep thinking about intersections of race, gender and sexuality and the ways that feminist and queer spaces are often so White.

StoryCorps Justice Report

2020-06-24 15:50:53 UTC

"I still wake up screaming: memories from one of the only people to survive a lynching".

I just can't wrap my brain around what makes people so cruel. Why do people think it is okay to torture someone else just because of the color of their skin?

2020-06-25 20:38:13 UTC

I read some of the personal narratives of Asian people in the United States through Digital History's "Voices" collections. Looking back on my experience growing up as a white person in the Seattle area, there seemed to be a lot of pressure on my Asian friends to assimilate. One of my closest friends is from the Philippines, and I happened to read a 1930 quote from a Filipino man, Julian Llar. He wrote "Always there lurks over us a suspicion that perhaps after all, we do not 'belong.'" I know that this must be something my friend struggles with, still. There is pressure to "conform," lest you be made fun of, or worse, become a target of violence for your race and culture. I had a friend in middle school who I remember was very connected to her South Korean culture. I remember being "disappointed" when she seemed to assimilate into white culture. I definitely did not then have an understanding of why she might do this, but now I have the educational tools to think about it in a more complex way. I hope to help create a world where everyone has the ability to express themselves how they wish without the threat of violence.

Booker T Washington

2020-06-26 15:00:01 UTC

I read the biography of Booker T Washington. While I knew some of the background regarding his childhood and teaching career I was unaware of the conflict between him and Dubois- and his stance that his people should focus on education and not voting rights. This made me aware of the complexities of the time period. It also made me realize I had probably only read simplified an sanitized versions of his life.

Sacrifice- Ellie Dahmer

2020-06-26 20:21:22 UTC

"tremendous sacrifice" Daughter speaks about the night her father was killed in a fire of their family home. She said they didn't think they would target the children, but the whole family was inside the home when it was set fire. I just imagine my children waking up to a fire and not being able to do anything. Helpless.

Lost Opportunities

2020-06-28 11:53:32 UTC

I think about the social construct in which I grew up, and wonder about the many lost opportunities for friendships and growth. I listened to Natalie and Eli's story of how they missed knowing each other. They should have had a rich relationship. How many opportunities are lost to all of us in this divided world that is the legacy of our past?

"I Just Hugged the Man Who Murdered My Son"

2020-06-29 13:10:02 UTC

I listened to a StoryCorps video entitled "I Just Hugged the Man Who Murdered My Son," and I was left feeling very confused and uneasy. The video didn't really explain the circumstances surrounding the son's death, only the mother visiting his murderer in jail, hugging him, and them ending up living next door to each other and loving each other like family. I know that I cannot understand the pain of losing a child since I don't have one yet, and I also know that I am in no position to judge the mother in any way, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around the notion of loving her son's killer. The only rationale I could guess was that maybe because the killer was 16 at the time, she sees him as a product of a system that fails young black men? And as a black mother, that resonates with her? But I don't know, as it doesn't say. I feel like I would need more to understand this, but then, I also recognize that I don't have to understand her choices for it to be healing for her.

Slave Narrative Project

2020-07-13 23:04:53 UTC

I read the account of Sallie Carder's time as a slave in Tennessee. Growing up my father had told me that we had a plantation owner in our family tree, but that he was one of "the good ones" that treated his slaves fairly. Apparently, they were treated so fairly that many of them stayed afterwards. That explanation worked for me as a child, but as an adult didn't sit well with me. Going to historical sites such as Monticello, reading accounts like Sallie Carder's, and learning about share cropping make me realize that there was and is no such thing as a "happy slave." I'm glad I'm getting the chance to learn more so that when I tell my genealogy I can do it with a full historical context, and with a full understanding of the effects on my family, and the families of those who were enslaved by them.

We Have a Driver's Heart

2020-07-15 16:21:36 UTC

I listened to several StoryCorps interviews from the Justice Project. This one between 2 NYC bus drivers during the pandemic really touched me during this difficult time. We are all so anxious about Covid and I know how lucky I am to make choices and get equipment I need. It is so important to remember all of those people who are putting their lives and their loved ones lives on the line and how many of these everyday heroes are BIPOC and how the disparity of numbers of Covid cases and deaths in Communities of Color. This horrible pandemic is made more horrible by the racial divide.

Stories From Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp

2020-07-17 19:57:54 UTC

It is hard to imagine that at the same time we had troops over in Europe fighting the Nazis because they took away people's property, rights, and lives that we had Internment camps in the United States doing the same thing to people of Japanese heritage. Most of the people were American citizens and some had sons who were actually fighting in the war. When many of them were "picked up" they did not know where they were going or why. Sometimes families were split up--I know it is different circumstances, but could we not come up with a better solution than what we have at the southern border today??

Interview with Rosa Parks

2020-07-19 18:43:32 UTC

Have copied this from the article-- I think her words are so empowering. I loved her focus on positivity! She reiterated that several times in the interview

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to make a difference?

The advice I would give any young person is, first of all, to rid themselves of prejudice against other people and to be concerned about what they can do to help others. And of course, to get a good education, and take advantage of the opportunities that they have. In fact, there are more opportunities today than when I was young. And whatever they do, to think positively and be concerned about other people, to think in terms of them being able to not succumb to many of the temptations, especially the use of drugs and substances that will destroy the physical health, as well as mental health.

The BAD Times

2020-07-24 21:58:44 UTC

I read an issue of a newspaper made by black University of Arkansas students in 1971. In this specific issue, they were highlighting a "Black Emphasis Week" which I think would be akin to Black History Month activities in schools. One of the days featured a rap battle with Huey Newton - could you imagine?? Another thing I noticed was an article talking about a prevalent motivation of black students to go to university so they could (essentially) provide a better life for their kids than their parents did. The author wrote, "The life we started out to ascertain isn't the way it was yesterday" and mentioned that the door to opportunities had a "combination lock," a phrase that resonated with me. That's definitely something that's relevant today, possibly more so than at the time this was published. It's hard to find a good opportunity without a college degree, and even if you have a college degree as a BIPOC, you can be denied a job for your hair, an "ethnic" name, etc...for simply existing.

Hugging the Man Who Murdered My Son

wat3trainers — 2020-07-31 23:37:04 UTC

The capacity for forgiveness in this story is amazing to me. Mary Johnson's son was murdered by Oshea Israel when he was a teenager. Now she sees him as a son. They are neighbors. I keep thinking about the racist system that caused the confrontation between Oshea and Mary's son in the first place. And how big it is of Mary to recognize that people can change and that one action doesn't define someone's life.

So many Black people are not given this courtesy by our system. So many Black people who are just existing and trying to live and haven't done a single thing besides live haven't been given the courtesy of being treated as human and as equal and as worthy of opportunity and love.

March (Autobiographical Graphic Novel Series by John Lewis)

2020-08-04 19:53:30 UTC

John Lewis wrote 3 graphic novels about his experiences in the civil rights movement. I read all three within the past five years. The illustrations depicted the brutal violence he and his collaborators faced standing up for civil rights. As a child of fairly-recent immigrants, I have no personal familial connection to US history prior to the 1970s. I was educated in predominantly-white schools from pre-school through graduate school, so I learned the mainstream version of history. Reading the graphic novels helped me understand the disparities and challenges John Lewis and other activists faced and the real danger they faced. I recommend reading these books.

StoryCorps Historias

2020-08-13 17:38:29 UTC

I listed to both featured videos they provided. One was a conversation between a father and his daughter. She asked him what it was like for him to grow up in Mexico. They other was a conversation between two sisters discussing the last days of their father's life. What struck me in both videos was the simple, human connection between parents and their children and how important it is. This amplifies the horror of separating families at border crossings, a practice that should never be allowed.

Born Blackwell and Jamal Faison

2020-08-17 18:04:30 UTC

https://storycorps.org/stories/jamal-faison-and-born-blackwell-160603/

This is a conversation between Jamal Faison and his uncle, Born Blackwell. Jamal reflects on his feelings as he was released from Rikers prison after 8 months following an arrest while home from college break for robbery. He says being a convicted felon doesn't just effect his ability to get a job. It effects every aspect of his life: will his son be embarrassed of him? He feels the fact that he's a felon is written all over him, limiting opportunities. Listening to this conversation, I have realized that Jamal's future is forever changed. While he "paid" for his crime with his 8 months in prison, he will continue paying for it for the rest of his life. His ability to obtain an education or a job has become limited. The way people perceive him has changed.

StoryCorps Historias

2020-09-10 12:54:27 UTC

https://storycorps.org/stories/they-called-him-papu-the-life-of-a-beloved-grandfather/

This conversation about their grandfather Papu was very touching. He came to the US from Mexico during World War II as part of the Bracero Program. He was very outgoing and loved to talk to make everyone laugh and smile. He worked hard his entire life picking fruit and laying railroad tracks. When he finally became a citizen, he would carry his passport with him everywhere he went because he was afraid that people would not think that he belonged in this country. I think his fear of being sent away is something that many naturalized citizens contend with on a daily basis. I think that is something that even people who are born here but seen as other also fear.

StoryCorps Griot

2020-09-11 22:00:37 UTC

I searched the StoryCorps Griot collection and listened to a mother telling her son about growing up in a large Black suburb in Virginia where she helped integrate a local school. It was so powerful to hear how a small child felt it was up to her and her peers to ignore all the taunts and threats and do well at that school so she could
"represent our whole race."

StoryCorps: Shirley Darkeh and Ayim Darkeh

2020-09-17 16:25:56 UTC

I listened to a conversation between a mother and son. Ayim talked about experiencing racism at school and Shirley talked about how she tried to shield him from racism as much as she could. Ayim also spoke about his experiences as a black doctor, and how there are some subtle racist things that anger him.

StoryCorps: Making It

2020-09-18 09:58:53 UTC

I listened to an interview between a teacher and his former student, Noe Rueda, about what it was like for Noe to grow up extremely poor on Chicago's west side. Noe's mother made less than $8,000 a year and Noe would often sell things or work construction when he was as young as 5th grade to help his family make ends meet.

Tell Me About Your Childhood in Mexico. I listed to several StoryCorps Historias episodes. This one really touched me. When the dad was a little boy his parents left him with an aunt and went to the U.S. to find work. He didn't see them again for 3.5 years! He told his daughter he used to sit at night crying for his mom. She asked him "didn't you see that she was doing this for you and not for herself" and his reply was that all he saw was that they'd left him. So powerful and disturbing... Especially b/c I know this type of situation still continues today.

2020-09-22 16:40:59 UTC

DIGITAL HISTORY: WOMEN'S VOICES: I read Margaret Fuller's history - as she is a transcendentalist who has always inspired me. She is considered an early feminist who explored, and allowed others to explore, the topics of work, marriage, prostitution and reform. The irony, of course, is we are still talking and writing, singing, etc. about these topics and finding problems in equity.

lanaouren — 2020-09-23 20:04:41 UTC

Experiencing Internment:

2020-10-06 04:04:55 UTC

Author Keiho Soga
This is about the Internment of Japanese Americans and the physical dislocation of their families from their homes to internment camps. They had to leave everything behind except one bag of items and were forced into a single drafty room apartment. I am currently reading a fiction book Internment and it is similar situation to the Japanese Americans but it is a telling of Muslims being treated this way because of their faith. It is scary to think of the past and the future that this could happen again if too many people sit by, say, and do nothing.

Seizure of Alcatraz Island

2020-10-07 16:54:57 UTC

I read an account of 14 Native American college students who occupied Alcatraz Island in 1968, arguing when Alcatraz Prison was closed that it should be returned to Native Americans as a symbol of how the US has treated them in this country. It was full of sarcasm but is also a very sad look at how Americans have stolen land from and disenfranchised the Indigenous Sovereign Nations living here prior to American Colonialization, leaving them infantilized in a system that underfunds systems supporting the descendants of these people.

StoryCorp Justice Project

2020-10-12 23:11:41 UTC

I listened to two stories from the Justice Project. The first story was from an inmate who was a teenager when her was in jail and he was interviewed by his nephew. The second story was from an inmate who was pregnant while in prison and she was interviewed by her daughter. I became really emotional while listening to both stories but in a different way. When I listened to the first story, I got emotional when he said that no matter how hard he tried to "pretty-up" or down play his jail sentence to employers or others in his community it still felt like his charge was written all over him and the one thing he was scared of was that his son would be embarrassed by him. This it made me cry and I also understood what he was saying, because as much as I hate to admit it often times society does judge you based on your past. When I listened to the second story that made me cry also but on a different level. When the speaker spoke about how she felt when she was pregnant in prison and that she felt alone and scared it really made me cry, because when your going through something like being pregnant you want the love and support of your family and friends. However when you are in prison you don't have that. She also expressed how after the baby was born the baby came back to the prison with her and she felt embarrassed by that. That touched me because when you are taking care of someone rather it's you child or a family member you want them to grow up in a safe place. What I learned from both experiences is that once you are incarcerated and after you are released from prison that charge stays with you no matter what type of charge it hinders the opportunities they get in life. However, what I also learned is that it does not have to define who that person is after they get out of prison and that they can still make a better life for themselves after prison.

StoryCorp Justice Project.

2020-10-15 15:47:57 UTC

Listening to the story of a man who was released from jail and then struggled with how he will make it in the "real world" now that he has a criminal record made me look back on an experience I had. I was involved with sending a man to jail. I testified against him for stalking me and being involved with vandalizing my car. I said he should be in jail and that I feel safer with him there. Did I have a hand in messing up his life. He did mention how more prison time on his record would hurt his chances of gaining employment. He also called me racist. Am I?

https://storycorps.org/stories/this-is-ours-too-a-fathers-instills-a-sense-of-belonging-in-his-daughter/

2020-10-27 15:27:49 UTC

"This is Ours Too"

Listening to this story just makes me sad for the little boy the father was and the young girl the daughter was. They were exposed to some very harsh realities of live for BIPOC people in this country. This family moved from Northern California to Iowa and the daughter was excited to be moving to a new place with "all this open sky" and she still experienced racism. She said her dad raised them to be hyper aware of their blackness and that America is their country and anywhere they go belongs to them. The dad shared a story about walking home from school and a white couple sitting on their porch with guns pretty much daring him to step on the grass. It really boggles my mind that some people can be so filled with hate because of someone's skin color, religion or gender identity but that definitely doesn't give anyone the right to express that disagreement with violence. Just because something is different, doesn't make it bad! If we took the time to actually get to know people and understand their background and culture, we'd be in a much better place. We are raising our children to be aware of their "blackness" as well so that they understand what it means to be black in America and that not everyone thinks their "Black is Beautiful"

Federal Writers' Project: Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 16, Texas, Part 1, Adams-Duhon

2020-10-27 15:33:09 UTC

I read about the Adams-Duhon family and their experiences on a Texas farm. Fortuneately they were treated with an ounce of respect and dignity. They had adequate housing and food. They were allow

Pocahontas

2020-11-04 17:53:03 UTC

This account of colonist history, along with multiple other accounts presented in this module, for the most part seem to be fairly consistent with what I encountered in school.

Black Panther Fearmongering

2020-11-05 02:54:19 UTC

I read Are These Cats Red?, a pamphlet put out by The Conservative Society of America in 1969 accusing the Black Panthers of being Communists. It’s crazy how the same scare tactics and many of the same buzzwords are used today. It honestly barely seemed dated—if it wasn’t scanned in (obviously dating it) and you replaced Black Panthers with Black Lives Matter activists, I could see it circulating online now.

StoryCorps Justice Project

tgoodson2 — 2020-12-02 18:14:15 UTC

As I listen to the stories of those who were incarcerated and their path since, I am so grateful for this place to share their stories, their struggles, and their successes. This project shines a line on our justice system and the struggles to escape its clutches.

Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 2, Arkansas, Part 1, Abbott-Byrd

2020-12-03 02:06:46 UTC

I looked through the LOC Slave Narrative Projects, and read in-depth one interview with Silas Abbott. It was interesting, because it talked about the dynamic he had being friend's with the children of his family's owners, and also the relationships between his family and the other slaves on the plantation. As he is being interviewed as a former slave, he also has unique perspectives into the mentally surrounding work, as felt by younger generations.

Pilgrims from the Indian Perspective

daniellegregori1 — 2020-12-10 17:37:09 UTC

The story of the pilgrims has gone through many transformations for me, from the joyous dressing up and hosting a feast for parents in Kindergarten, to when I started to hear the truth of what actually happened in college. This narrative captures specific events that happened after the pilgrims arrived, and disrupts the stereotype that the tribes encountering them were naive or docile. They were the victims of abuse, violence, and malice at the hands of the pilgrims, and some of them wanted to retaliate. It also breaks the narrative of innocence in regards to the settlers that we learn about when we're young. They were sneaky, cruel, and nearly always un-Christian. It's easy to see that, even from the very start, the arrival of Europeans marked the beginning of pain, hardship, violence and trauma for the Indigenous people who had the misfortune of encountering them.

Early Spanish Account of Plains Indians (1542)

2020-12-28 22:49:50 UTC

I found it interesting in this paragraph about the first impressions of this tribe that the author, Pedro de Castenada, mentions the similarities this group of people has with what de Castenada is familiar with from where he lives. He writes about their houses and dogs, and how they utilize Bison (what he refers to as "cows"). I thought it was incredibly interesting to read this perspective that doesn't mention the Indians as being less than or "savages". It appears to be a simple report on how they lived with similarities and differences pointed out.
Digital History (uh.edu)

No Return Trip - Lithuania

2021-01-11 02:32:46 UTC

https://madeintoamerica.org/no-return-trip-lithuania/
This is the story of a mother and her 3-year-old coming to America to visit relatives in 1939. She was planning to stay only 6 months and then return to her husband and home in Lithuania. However, her husband stopped wriiting back. She later found out that he and his entire family were killed by Nazis. She stayed in America with her daughter and eventually remarried another Jewish man. This story of loss and tragedy really struck me as my father's family immigrated from Lithuania. I don't know any details of their relocation. It moves me to want to uncover my family's story of immigration to America.

March on Washington

2021-01-18 18:44:10 UTC

I explored the march on washington and was struck by how similar it was to this past summer.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/march-on-washington-eyewitnesses-to-history-photos_n_3792414?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACIjRs3eiUTvCyfi7O1IlDfdcp7C-mgGbu21EihAGsPWhtWXCPAvU4G6A4O12taAc-0rCp1H1X5JC4j2C5SW8fg_Z5W9zBRyOdiUw38gk3kD89aXb0tKAiHxw7sAqOuJjCBeoCGkasnW1aePcxH5MuAiBxTReIrmcHaJ56PZPlbe

"Why Do You Take Me To Protests So Much?" - StoryCorps Griot Interview

2021-01-18 19:42:08 UTC

I enjoyed listening to Aidan Sykes interview his dad, Albert, particularly on the topic of protest activism in the black community and why his father would involve him.

Clara Jean Ester's StoryCorps Interview

2021-01-18 23:48:21 UTC

This was an extremely powerful interview with Ms. Ester, who witnessed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after hearing his speech the day before. Her story was so powerful, and this quote struck me: "I think every time I want to believe that Dr. King’s life changed everything… I’ve witnessed George Floyds and so many others that have lost their lives. But you think that that’s gonna destroy his dream?"
It's so easy to feel disheartened when doing anti-racism work. This lifted me.

https://unc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d7d33f68a1bf48649fecdb895ba94537

2021-01-19 19:24:58 UTC

The look back at school integration is a realistic sad perspective. Woman describes her fear on when the KKK enter her classroom. Much and Little have changed.

"You can hear the shopping cart coming down the sidewalk." Herman Travis and Robert Cochran

2021-01-20 00:06:19 UTC

Herman Travis goes to the grocery store in his neighborhood and delivers groceries to the homes of the elderly in his community including Robert Cochran. HE shares that in the beginning, people were so afraid, they didn't allow him into their homes, but eventually the sound of his grocery cart coming down the sidewalk was a sound they looked forward to. What a beautiful way to serve your community.

William Apes, 1636

2021-01-21 17:07:33 UTC

"The Pilgrims from the Indian Perspective" discusses the moral and religious hypocrisy of the settlers, who made treaties and laws with the Native Americans nearby, but refused to abide by it. When they were sick and starving, they relied on the Native Americans for food and work, but often stole from them. When individuals committed crimes, they received harsh punishments if they were Native American, but were either protected or given lesser sentences if they were settlers. Anyone who spoke of the double standard was punished. This is sadly very applicable to today's problems, with the double-standard of many supposed Christians or conservatives.

Story Corps - Jerome Smith and Carol Bebelle

2021-01-21 17:46:08 UTC

A man talks about a defining moment in his life on a New Orleans streetcar before the Civil Rights era. His father had torn the divider down between blacks and whites and so he did the same a few months later. It caused a hostile situation and he was eventually slapped by an older black woman. This woman followed him out and down the street where she then told him not to stop. She said, "Don't ever quit." This moment opened the door for him to be the person he is today.

The Americanization of Edward Bok

2021-01-21 20:00:44 UTC

Edward Bok is an immigrant from the Netherlands who reflects on what it means to be an American to the foreign born versus to the American born. His perspective is eye opening in that he wonders who is the better American. One who is foreign born or one who is American born. He claims that schools are not equipped to teach to those who are not American by birth and even then, they do a poor job of educating the young on what it means to be American. His experience with the political parties in his attempt to find out what it means to vote is so sad. His view of America leaves me embarrassed and wondering how it can be fixed. Sadly, while American touts freedom of speech, we are not consistent in enforcing it. After going through this module, Bok's point about America making laws and then not enforcing them and how policemen have become objects of fear instead of objects of safety, resonated strongly with me. There is so much history in America to be ashamed of and more people need to stand up and speak for the equal rights of all. After all, America is supposed to be the land of opportunity-why should anyone be denied that opportunity?

The Leesburg Stockade Girls

2021-01-21 23:22:57 UTC

A group of girls were locked up for protesting at an anti-segregation rally. Peaceful. One girl was pregnant. They were detained, without parents knowing where they were for over two months. They were treated less than human for a peaceful protest. A right we have under the 5th amendment.

The Ghost Dance and the Wounded Knee Massacre

2021-01-21 23:30:13 UTC

I explored the "Native American Voices" resource. I was disappointed at how many resources were actually white accounts of their observations of Native Americans/white accounts of historical events. There were some first-person perspectives, but they were not the majority. One that really struck me was "The Ghost Dance and the Wounded Knee Massacre" by Masse Hadjo, a member of the Sioux. He wrote this article for the Chicago Tribune in 1890. He defends the Ghost Dance religion in the face of forced government assimilation and makes on-point commentary of the hypocritical Christianity practiced by most whites.

Born Blackwell and Jamal Faison

2021-01-24 19:09:40 UTC

After reading the history of prisoner slavery in Post-Reconstruction era, (a part of history I wasn't really aware of or was not emphasized), I can only imagine the generations of angry defeat mixed with shame and self-hate that BIPOC carry with them today because of the prison system. Jamal Faison talks about the "tremendous weight of fear" he felt in prison and continued to carry with him once out. And how many young men were not as lucky as Jamal to have an uncle who walked alongside him and kept lifting him up and reminding him of his self-worth and potential.

StoryCorps Justice Project

2021-01-24 23:07:48 UTC

I listened to a story about a young woman who was incarcerated during her pregnancy and had her baby during her time in jail. It was an emotional piece to listen to as the interviewer was her young son.

A Grandmother's Lifetime of Love

2021-01-25 02:06:54 UTC

I enjoyed listening to the recollections of a family on the sacrifices and many acts of love demonstrated by their beloved Lola, a Philippines-born immigrant. This story was more positive than much of what I read in the History of Race and Racism module. However, I appreciate it for its focus on simple acts of love, and how a grandmother's sacrifice had a profound effect on this multi-generational family. Having just finished this module, it is not lost on me that the dire circumstances Lola grew up in were due in no small part to her race and immigrant status.

River of Blood edited by Richard Cahan and Micheal Williams

2021-01-25 02:07:45 UTC

The editors collected photos from the Library of Congress' Slave Narratives online collection to create an oversize book. I found this book extremely moving though it does not cover one person's in depth but offers a "photo" of many different lives. These interviews and and photos were collected in the 1930's. To me it was very moving, because thousands of formerly enslaved people were alive less than one hundred years ago. The trauma of slavery isn't really that long ago. I know that the curriculum is calling for online resources, but I can't help but recommend this print book.

Francine's Story

woodward_v — 2021-01-25 02:31:47 UTC

I listened to Francine Anderson's story about the time her black father ran out of gas when she was 5 years old. After pushing his car to the gas station, he was told he couldn't buy gas there. Francine focuses on how that experience affected her father and how she viewed her father differently after that experience. I also found it interesting that when she shares the story with black people, they get a different message out of it than the white people with whom she shares her story.

WIMS

2021-01-25 02:54:39 UTC

I read about Wednesdays in Mississippi (WIMS)--a group that "brought interracial, interfaith teams of northern middle-aged, middle- and upper-class women to Jackson, Mississippi, in the summer of 1964 to meet with their southern counterparts." While I am somewhat familiar with activists of Freedom Summer, I was completely unaware of this group of northern women who operated on the "principle that the team members’ gender, age, and class would serve as an entrée to southern women who had criticized and dismissed other civil rights activists as radicals." I think we are used to hearing about the "louder" and more "active" activists that it was interesting to learn at least a little about this group of women who worked together to bring women together using a more "quiet" approach. It was a short piece and I'm interested to learn more about this program.

Japanese Internment

2021-01-25 18:43:42 UTC

After reading George Takei's "They Called Us Enemy" I've been interested in the Japanese American experience in relation to World War II. Keiho Soga explains how quickly they were taken from home, forced to give up all property (homes and businesses) and were stuck in "apartments" that were mud, tar paper and pine boards. No heat, no space, bad and scarce food, no privacy or schools. It's a jarring look at what they went through as a reaction of social judgement- not because they personally had done anything wrong.

Cries-for-salmon (1922)

2021-01-25 22:43:24 UTC

I read about Cries-for-salmon who is described as " An Alaskan informant" as she described "childbirth, childrearing, and girlhood in that culture area." I found it interesting she is not identified by tribe. It was interesting to hear the division of gender roles, and how things such as childbirth and menstruation were treated. I found the cultural taboo around her menstruating (being forced to stay indoors in a small area of the home where she could hardly lay down, having to drink separate water, not being able to make eye contact with men) very interesting as there is still so much cultural taboo around periods all over the world - including in the United States.

Charlotte B. Greenup

2021-01-26 18:13:17 UTC

I read an interview with an 83-year-old Black woman who helped CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) in Louisiana in the 1960s. She signed a letter advocating for voting rights for Black people and was arrested for "conspiracy against the mayor" with bail set at $4000. Later she went up to her former home of Chicago, IL to raise money to buy a car for CORE volunteers in Louisiana to use as part of their work. The interviewer asked her why she wasn't afraid of speaking up as some others were and she said she was too old, she didn't care! And she didn't have to worry about losing her job like younger people did. What a lady!

https://storycorps.org/stories/jamal-faison-and-born-blackwell-160603/

2021-01-26 21:20:11 UTC

Jamal is overwhelmed about having a prison record and he could have spiraled down while imprisoned, also. Thanks goodness he has a caring and nurturing uncle who offers him unconditional love.

Establishing Hawaii’s First Sugar Plantation

2021-01-27 18:06:45 UTC

This first hand account from a white man, sent to Hawaii to establish a sugar plantation and introduce free labor really shows the entitlement and self-righteousness that white male Americans felt. He comments that the Chief and the "Natives" have been such an annoyance and that he is simply trying to free them from their backward way of doing things. It is interesting/disturbing how ingrained that belief was - white supremacy, as well as the superiority of capitalism, that you could go to a place completely foreign and unknown, and assume you know best.

Unsolved Civil Rights Murder

2021-01-28 01:57:20 UTC

i listened to a Storycorps story about Edwin Pratt, a Seattle Civil Rights leader who was murdered in his home. It makes me think about all the people of color who were brave enough to stand up and advocate for change and ended up paying with their lives. And I think about how the injustices continue and people are still dying just because of the color of their skin. My heart aches.

StoryCorps - Historias

rebecca_brunson — 2021-01-28 16:46:10 UTC

This was a brief but beautiful story about two daughters spending time connecting with their father in his last days of life. It's so interesting because on the one hand, their are aspects of their upbringing and connection to their dad that I can't relate to, but the one thing that resonated with me so much is that one of the daughters made her dad a meal she knew he would really love and fed it to him to show how much she loved him. Making good food and sharing a meal with people we care about speaks to so many of us regardless of culture/race and it really reminded me that for all of our differences and uniqueness, this is something that really brings us together as humans.

Baptism and Churning Songs with Irene Williams, 1940 Interview

2021-02-25 18:34:15 UTC

The audio shares the singing of former enslaved woman of baptism and churning. Attached is the transcript from the interview. In Part 2 of her interview, she shares experience of going to church on Sunday and dressing in the finest clothes. Part 3 brings more songs. Singing songs and going to church were joyous occasions in the bleak life of a slave. This narrative was easy to hear. Some of the others from the collection were poor recordings or did not seem to have clear recollections from interviewees. It is sad this part of history wasn't better documented and so long after the time when people were still enslaved.

Voices of Civil Rights -LOC Exhibition

2021-02-25 23:08:05 UTC

I found this virtual exhibition to be very good. I really love the way that we get primary accounts of the people in the photographs. I feel that this is an immersive way to tell the untold story of the many people that played a role in the Civil Rights movement.

"I just hugged a man who murdered my son"

2021-03-22 17:52:40 UTC

An amazing story about the mother of a son who was murdered forming a relationship with his murderer. Through the relationship they have both begun the act of healing. I do not know if I could have the same reaction. Both people in this story sound so content and supportive of each other.

Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the United States

2021-03-29 19:23:06 UTC

I had encountered David Walker's pamphlet at some point in a history class, but never read the text. Although the pamphlet was suppressed, it reached Black people across the country and created a legacy of Black thought extending to the present day. It's incredible that Walker's words are not taught alongside those of DuBois and King--but then again, considering the radical nature of his message and views, maybe it's not so incredible.

Which Black voices are taught in schools or memorialized as influential is part of a larger conversation about how we view Black Americans of the past. I found another interesting article about journalistic preservation, history, and which myths of Black American literacy continue to hold sway.

Working in the Cane Fields

2021-04-02 20:41:21 UTC

by Carrie FIsher and Leo Fitzpatrick
This is a song from 1910 about waking up early to work in the cane fields. The song shows the abuse that the workers received if they did not get up and work.

https://storycorps.org/stories/jamal-faison-and-born-blackwell-160603/

2021-04-05 13:56:09 UTC

I read this story after watching the documentary "Slavery By Another Name" and I noticed the same practices of unfair mass arrests of African Americans. Their innocence didn't matter and they were guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and for being black. Thankfully for the support of family, once released they could be treated with respect and told you are not an animal but a MAN.

Gwen Moten- Storycorps

2021-04-05 21:38:13 UTC

https://storycorps.org/stories/gwen-moten-150626/
Gwen Moten recounts being best friends with Denise McNair (one of the 4 girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Moten mentions they were so close that their teacher had to separate them in school, and they had played together the night before the tragedy and her last words to her friend were, "I'll see you later." That happened in September of 1963, but 51 years later after hearing about the shooting at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston on June 15, 2015, Ms. Moten began to "shake and cry", recounting this as just another "link of death". She wonders, as so many of us do, "When will we break this link?"
This also brought the Chauvin trial to mind as we witnessed the 61 year old Charles McMillian being moved to tears in his testimony of seeing yet another "link" of unfair death. These, and other stories break my heart, and I continuously wonder how we can help break this continued cycle.

2021-04-05 21:47:27 UTC

2021-04-05 21:59:59 UTC

Baptism and Churning Songs with Irene Williams, 1940 Interview Baptism and Churning Songs with Irene Williams, 1940 Interview The audio shares the singing of former enslaved woman of baptism and churning. Attached is the transcript from the interview. In Part 2 of her interview, she shares experience of going to church on Sunday and dressing in the finest clothes. Part 3 brings more songs. Singing songs and going to church were joyous occasions in the bleak life of a slave. This narrative was easy to hear. Some of the others from the collection were poor recordings or did not seem to have clear recollections from interviewees. It is sad this part of history wasn't better documented and so long after the time when people were still enslaved. Gwen Moten- Storycorps https://storycorps.org/stories/gwen-moten-150626/ Gwen Moten recounts being best friends with Denise McNair (one of the 4 girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Moten mentions they were so close that their teacher had to separate them in school, and they had played together the night before the tragedy and her last words to her friend were, "I'll see you later." That happened in September of 1963, but 51 years later after hearing about the shooting at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston on June 15, 2015, Ms. Moten began to "shake and cry", recounting this as just another "link of death". She wonders, as so many of us do, "When will we break this link?" This also brought the Chauvin trial to mind as we witnessed the 61 year old Charles McMillian being moved to tears in his testimony of seeing yet another "link" of unfair death. These, and other stories break my heart, and I continuously wonder how we can help break this continued cycle.

2021-04-05 22:00:12 UTC

Native American Voices

2021-04-07 17:29:44 UTC

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/voices/voices_content.cfm?vid=4
I looked through the Native American Voices resources, because I am part native American. I am related to Cherokee Chief John Ross, so it was interesting to read his views on being pushed out of the Cherokee land and the Trail of Tears.

Historias: A Woman Providing Life-Saving Aid at the Mexico-Arizona Border Shares Her Story

2021-04-12 20:08:03 UTC

One story that stood out to me from Historias was about a woman who searches the desert to provide water/food and aid to people who were left by groups crossing the border. The part that was hard to stomach is that she can legally only do so much - she can't take anyone with her onto private land. She also shared about a pregnant woman who went missing and was never found, someone she still thinks about. I am impressed by her efforts and the hard and crucial work she does.

StoryCorps Justice

2021-04-12 21:00:22 UTC

https://storycorps.org/stories/savannah-phelan-and-kellie-phelan-080516/ Hearing this story in particular really moved me because of the young child's voice interviewing their mother about having a baby in prison. "I don't want you to be lonely...and it makes me understand why you went to jail."

Native American Voices

2021-04-12 23:57:46 UTC

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/voices/voices_content.cfm?vid=4
The most moving document for me was the declaration of war on the theft of Lakota traditions and spirituality. White Americans do not have any rights to appropriate other cultures spiritual traditions, especially not for our own profit. There is a short Youtube video my daughters have shared with me of a Native American person telling white people to stop buying and using White Sage. It has become scarce because it is trending among white people as a natural remedy. The result being that it is sometimes too scarce and expensive for the original users of it.

StoryCorp

2021-04-13 15:45:56 UTC

I listened to a few stories from different points of view. This one: https://storycorps.org/animation/facundo-the-great/ particularly struck me about how students' names get changed to make it "easy" for the teacher & other students.

Story Corps Griot

2021-04-30 00:29:31 UTC

I heard the story of Denise's friend. Her last words to her friend were, "See you later." She had been invited to go to church with Denise, but her mother said no. Denise was in the 16th Street Baptist Church when it was bombed, and died the next day. I was born in 1961, in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. I remember hearing only my family's point of view and being afraid of people of color. I never heard of the bombing until I was an adult. When I read "The Watsons Go to Birmingham", I was shaken to the core by the image of the shoe after the bombing. Why? Why didn't I know about this horrendous thing? Why was I allowed to go to church in safety and find refuge and peace there, but children just a little older than me were brutally murdered in their church? That was the beginning of my inkling of understanding of the injustices. Hearing Denise's friend tell about Denise broke my heart all over again.

Just...wow!

2021-05-29 19:25:17 UTC

I watched a few different news clips from http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/civilrightstv/ It makes me sick to think that my parents were children watching this. Growing up, I believes that blatant racism to be a thing of the past, but it is clear that it was just not that long ago.

https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/15644/rec/5

2021-08-26 14:44:05 UTC

Reading this account helps understand just how pervasive segregation was. I also like that this talks about how Black women were employed in domestic work. I think this sometimes is overlooked/forgotten, but many households needed 2 incomes at the time as wages were so low, and with such limited opportunities you did what you could. It continues to astound me how employers (companies or individuals) *just*didn't* care* about the lives of their employees (though not much has changed...)

"The last time I saw Denise was the night before the bombing."

2021-09-01 19:10:31 UTC

I just listened to the StoryCorps by the woman reflecting on her best friend, Denise, who died in a church bombing when they were girls. She explained that bombings like these were common in the South when she was growing up. The more recent church shooting in South Carolina triggered the feelings she carried around as a child. What is so tragic is that this woman's story is something that so many Black people have had to shoulder as well - they have experienced the same. And it still occurs. it's not a thing of the past.

https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=640

sdangelo149 — 2021-09-12 20:45:19 UTC

I read the Diversity of Native America: The Northeast by Pierre de Charlevoix. He describes "good qualities" upon closer inspection of northeastern tribes , and how even though they have a male chief, the tribe is very matriarchal. There is a distinct tone that the writer is maybe surprised to discover that these tribes are not the barbarians he has perhaps been led to believe they are. He writes of family counselors, chosen by the families, and often women choosing other women to represent them. That chiefs do not command but request, and never exceed the bounds of their authority.
It is very interesting that these relationships were noted in 1761, and yet the perpetuation of barbarian stereotypes continued for centuries.

The Black Americans for Democracy student newspaper

2021-10-12 18:49:56 UTC

I looked at the Black Americans for Democracy Newspaper and I was deeply impressed by the professionalism yet passion within the publications. I was impressed at how it took the time to acknowledge small victories and accomplishments of black students at the university, both in general and for civil rights, but kept focused on major issues. One article that stood out to me was one that spoke in a very frank voice as it called for black students to get as involved as possible, stating that black students should not complain about getting "shafted" year after year if they did nothing to try and get involved. This struck me as an attempt to counter the cynical view of "why even bother," which I think often bogs down movements for change. The scope of issues discussed were interesting as well, one article mentioning something as basic as the lack of beauty products for black women. Issues like that echo ones we are still fighting for today to ensure that diversity is acknowledged throughout all of our popular culture and society.

Digital History

2021-10-21 18:44:47 UTC

The stereotypes of these two races are just based on perception. What is considered "close together," "kindly," or "arrogant" for one person can be totally different to another. As a half-Korean, the racist remarks about Asian eyes always hurt me. This is how God made us, we are all different. The fact that is what written in what is considered a decent news source just blows my mind! I'm thankful that I didn't live during this time, but it is still sad to think of all the racism that still exists in this world.

Hawaiian labor and the sugar plantation

2021-10-22 03:21:45 UTC

I read about the Hawaiian labor changes for the sugar plantation from William Hooper's personal statement. He was sent to Hawaii to gather free labor from the chiefs' (royal family) citizens to work as free labor at the sugar plantation. Men like him caused a rift between the citizens and the royal family's governance. Eventually men like himself took powers from the royal family, locking Queen Lilioukalani in the Iolani palace, so that America could become it governing authority over time. I remember this history from my Social Studies class in Hawaii.

"I Just Hugged the Man Who Murdered My Son..."

2021-10-27 18:04:39 UTC

I listened to this on StoryCorps Griot and it was just heartbreaking but also refreshing in it's own way. It was amazing to see the courage of a mother who lost a son find the strength to basically adopt the man who murdered her son as her new son. I don't know that I could have done what she did. She was outstanding!

"What was it like to be pregnant with me in jail?"

2021-11-08 16:45:02 UTC

This was an emotional audio clip of a child interviewing his mother who was incarcerated while she was pregnant and gave birth. She was sent to jail because of a drug use problem that developed after she was prescribed painkillers for a doctor, a story that is unfortunately common. While it was heartening to hear how having her child saved her and made her determined to give her son a better life, it's still worrying to think of how many pregnant prisoners and their children may have their lives horribly altered by being in jail.

“The Black Vote Matters:" How An Army Veteran Inspired A Teenage Martin Luther King, Jr.

2022-02-02 17:28:42 UTC

I listened to this story on Story Corps Griot and it was heartbreaking. A war veteran exercising his right to vote, killed. A family threatened into silence not being safe enough to share their story or seek justice. It's just astounding and absolutely deplorable that he would be entrusted enough to go fight within a war but not enough to vote. The blatant abuse of power was and is just sickening.

Silvia's Legacy

2022-02-14 19:58:10 UTC

I listened to Silvia's Legacy on StoryCorps. The story is retold by Ellaraimo who was 16 in 1950, and was forced to by her parents to go to Louisiana that summer to visit her great grandmother, who she had never met. Her parents did not like her boyfriend, and wanted to separate the two lovers. She met her Great Grandmother, Silvia, who had been a slave. Silvia was 16 years old when the Civil War ended and when the slaves were emancipated. I found what Silvia told her great granddaughter about the experience to be very significant. She told her great granddaugher, " Not knowing how to read and write made me feel like a jigsaw puzzle." At the age of 85, she said to herself, "It stops here." With the help of grownups and sometimes children, she studied taught herself to read and write. Ellaraimo retells how her great grandmother went to a cedar chest at the end of her bed and took out a round fan. She turned it over, and written on the back of the fan were the words, Silvia. Grandma Silvia said when she could spell her name that was when she got her freedom.

2022-02-18 01:37:52 UTC

The story talks about the connection to Martin Luther King Jr., but that part didn't even need to be mentioned in my opinion. His act of voting when he knew the risks, but did it anyway to show how much his vote and Black votes mattered, was so admirable. His great niece expressed how honored she was to found out about the story when she too was campaigning for Black voting rights. Her great uncle didn't bow down to intimidation and is a symbol of strength and perseverance.

Almost 65 Years after Father's Lynching, Two Daughters are Still Looking for Justice

2022-03-26 20:33:30 UTC

"Don't you let your husband go out the door without knowing what he has on every day, cause you don't know if he's coming back." This was advice passed on from mother to daughter, because his clothes were how she was able to identify he husband's body after he was found washed up in a river months after his death by lynching. I can't imagine having to live every day with this type of fear, but it did remind me of the talks that Black parents need to have with their teenagers about how to handle being pulled over by police. There are so many situations where I, as a white person, get to take my safety for granted.

'Normal'

2022-04-09 21:47:44 UTC

I read a few of the Federal Writers' Project Slave Narratives and was struck by the normalcy with which these stories were recounted. The descriptions are so straightforward and pragmatic in the telling my brain almost can't comprehend the reality of what is being described. The experience of cognitive dissonance, the tension between my understanding that what was happening was wrong and weird and gross and bizarre and the reality that that reprehensible history was another person's everyday, humdrum reality strains my brain. It makes me wonder what kind of person I would be in that time. Would I be resigned and accept the circumstances controlling me? Would I rail against them in private while fearing the consequences of attempted escape or rebellion? Would the narratives around me and the structural components preventing organization and literacy amongst slaves function as intended and cloud my perception of my life? It's an uncanny feeling.

The Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee

2022-04-20 22:55:26 UTC

I wanted to read a narrative from a Native American perspective because it's one that I feel least familiar with. Having grown up in the West, I wanted to learn more. While short, this narrative introduced me to the Ghost Dance religion which I plan to explore more fully. I also found it really powerful to hear about the government's failure to honor promises and treaties in first person. The line "We looked forward with hope to the time when we could be as independent as the whites, and have a voice in the Government." made it clear just how cruel the broken promises were. It also got me wanting to dive deeper into the ramifications of this broken trust for Indigenous communities today.

Story Corp

2022-08-29 14:58:34 UTC

Great snippets into the lives of real people. Some of these could be used with my students. This is a wonderful resourse

Jayne and Luis Fuentes

2022-09-09 14:05:03 UTC

This was such an insightful look into the way the justice system continues to oppress families even after a sentence is served. Jayne served 15 years of her life in jail, and once she was released, she realized she had thousands of dollars of court fees to pay. If she wasn't able to keep up with her payments, she would be sent back to jail. However, because of her record, she had an incredibly hard time getting a job to pay those bills. Because of that, she found herself depending on her son, Luis, more than she or he wanted. The way we treat people who have served time in jail or prison not only impacts them, but it creates greater hardship for everyone in their lives. Luis has to work harder than his peers in order to support himself and his mother because we don't have sufficient support systems for people when they leave jail or prison.

William Apess

naspinne — 2022-09-23 02:04:46 UTC

This excerpt from the period of "Prince Philip's War" in "New England" is very moving. It exposes the hypocrisy of the English in Massachusetts. Apess was an exceptional man in this period, and his courage in publicly criticizing the English is inspiring. However, I don't think that someone without background knowledge of the period and the man would understand this excerpt at all. It needs a better presentation with more context. Also the spelling of Apess's name: please use a more modern orthography: Apess, not Apes. Thank you.

2022-10-25 18:38:46 UTC

I also read "The Americanization of Edward Bok," and it stuck out to me for a few reasons.
First, it was interesting to read about how American hypocrisy about ideals such as thrift and hard work have been around for such a long time. I feel like we often hear about laziness and waste in terms of "kids today," but this account was from around the turn of the last century!
Second, and perhaps relatedly, it brought to mind how often first-generation immigrants are more politically conservative than subsequent generations, and I realized that this may be because the "American Dream" requires that mindset, and perhaps first-generation immigrants need to believe that in order to feel like they made a good decision in coming here.
Third, Bok was so convinced that America, for all its faults, was still the land of opportunity, and would treat immigrants fairly if they were honest and worked hard. It was so clear to me that he was able to retain this belief because, even as an immigrant, he had the benefit of whiteness.

Interesting and Perspective changing

2022-10-27 03:50:22 UTC

I clicked the link to look at "Born Into Slavery" where it showed collections of first person accounts of US Slavery. While looking at both letters and devices used to confine slaves from this website I kept thinking of how short ago this was in the worlds history. With how recent these acts were its quite perspective shifting for me, Im personally concerned about problems that are effecting me without even thinking about this time in our world. When thinking about it it makes my problems nearly nothing in my eyes, I instead after being educated about this wish to be a person actively contributing to resolving problems arising from this time.

The sight of there future

2023-01-27 21:01:53 UTC

This text displays information about the Indians reaction to the arrival of the first European ships. They were admiring the beautiful site to which they were seeing, when they saw Europeans. They then stated, "What much hoggery, so big walk, and so big speak, and by and by kill." This was 1634.

Federal Writer's Project: Slave Narative Project, Vol. 2: Arkansas

2023-01-30 20:24:15 UTC

I've read some of these personal narratives before, but I felt that the voices were clearer in my mind this time. You could hear the love for families and a need to somehow find a place that you could call home. Often, the relationships that the slaves had with their "white folks" as one former slave used the term, was complex. Very interesting reading.

2023-02-08 15:06:30 UTC

I read Louisa Adams' account of being a slave in Rockingham, NC. She told about how she learned to read behind her masters' back, but she couldn't be caught with a book or she would be solde. That is so sad.
She also told about putting grease on her Daddy's back when the master beat him and how he still had to work. The master took the vegetables they grew in their own little garden and they didn't have any food. They had to work from sun up to sun down, then hunt at night for food.
I just don't understand how one human could treat other humans this way.

"I hugged the man who murdered my son"

2023-02-16 07:54:20 UTC

This was powerful to me as it shows that so many stories are deeper than they appear on the surface.

Prejudice against Indian Americans

2023-02-18 03:41:17 UTC

This personal narrative showed me an example of and act of racism towards Indian Americans. This event made me think about how acts like this continue to occur and worse is that even though we have made some progress it is enfuriating to read how there are people who think and act in such dirsrespectful manners.

Andrew Carnegie Autobiography

2023-03-01 15:16:10 UTC

I read part of Andrew Carnegie's autobiography from the year 1920. It talks about when he as 15 and his brother was 5 they took a boat and arrived in NYC. They then made their way to Pittsburgh where they knew of family. He learned of the mosquito for the first time on that trip to Pittsburgh and how they were eaten up, but he always slept soundly still. His mother would not allow him to work just any job. It had to be respectable. She would rather perish with her two boys than allow them to work in low company.

Federal Writers' Project: Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 4, Georgia, Part 4, Telfair-Young

2023-03-09 17:50:35 UTC

I read some of this account with Ms. Georgia Telfair. She talks about how she doesn't remember much of life as being a slave as she was only six months when Black people were given their freedom, but she's able to recount the things her family told her, like who her parents were owned by, what they had them do, and how much of a struggle it was for her even after slavery had been abolished. It was very interesting to read about as Ms. Georgia is from Athens and is 74, thinking about how not that long ago how bad things were for us black people and to some extent still is gives me a lot to think about.

School Segregation

2023-03-23 15:05:34 UTC

This interview was very interesting. The subject, who at the time of the interview was an educator, speaks of the experiences she had at an all black school versus an integrated school, and how the experiences shaped her. It was very difficult for her when attending the integrated school for many reasons, but the one that is memorable is that there was no one in the family who she could speak to and get empathy since she was the first one to attend an integrated school.

https://storycorps.org/stories/gwen-moten-150626/#:~:text=https%3A//storycorps.org/stories/gwen%2Dmoten%2D150626/

2023-05-18 16:40:37 UTC

Short, beautiful, tragic, and touching. Recounting of losing a close friend to a shooting in a Baptist church in 1963. One of the four young girls shot was her close friend that had spent the night with her before. Memories of a child through the eyes (and thought processes of her as an adult. I couldn't stop thinking about how this terrible act effects her feelings throughout life and how it effects her sense of value as a human being.

QUINN TUTTLE-SLAVERY

2023-06-06 03:43:16 UTC

Born in Slavery: Library of Congress online collection that contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of U.S. slavery

Just the stories that this one slave went through looking through the first couple of pages makes me unreal. I just can't believe a time long ago people were treated this way all based on the color of their skin. Every person is a human being no matter what and the feeling that our history had this happen is something I cannot fathom. I care for all human beings and I believe if all humans stay together and work together that will create a powerful and encouraging government.

The Legal Battle Against Internment

2023-07-31 14:32:17 UTC

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=50
I read about the Asian internment camps after the attack at Pearl Harbor. It is baffling that so many people just let it happen without stopping it and it was not that long ago!

Formerly incarcerated, always incarcerated.

2023-08-16 18:09:45 UTC

This story I feel like is very representative of many peoples’ experiences with the prison system. It made me think about every time I have filled out some sort of job application or school form and it asking the question “have you ever been convicted of a crime”. This is almost a way to discriminate against people for mistakes that were made in their past, but it seems they will never escape these mistakes. The threat of going back to jail is so real for many of the formerly incarcerated and it very much is not fair. People should not have to have these mistakes follow and haunt them for the rest of their lives. In a system that is already discriminatory, this only creates further division.

Rock Springs Massacre, Wyoming

2023-09-18 13:35:25 UTC

I had no idea there were Chinese immigrants working alongside Welsh and Swedish coal miners in Wyoming! Even amongst immigrants there was extreme discrimination and hate crimes (European miners burned the homes of 75 Chinese families). I was surprised that federal troops accompanied Chinese families back to their homes to protect them. The article was written from a place of hatred toward the Chinese; by allowing the Chinese to return with the support of the federal troops, the "Rock Springs is killed as far as white men are concerned." Such racism!

Florida is white-washing history.

2024-02-23 16:29:51 UTC

I was actually made aware via social media that Florida is rewritting it's history, especially in regards to slavery. Please see the link attached.

2024-09-06 05:24:29 UTC

I listened to the story of Maceo Snipes, who was a World War II US Army veteran who, in 1946, tried to exercise his right to vote and was lynched by a white mob. This story resinated because when young Dr. King found this story, not even knowing who this man was, he took action and wrote a letter to the Atlants Journal Constitution, which was very powerful to be because of the fact that his family was forced to be silent about the situation.

2025-09-13 01:31:51 UTC

The Rosa Parks Papers reveal her as more than a single historic moment. They show her as a daughter, wife, sister, and lifelong activist whose influence stretched far beyond the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Seeing her personal letters and decades of civil rights work highlights the persistence and quiet strength behind her public courage. The transcriptions make her legacy accessible to everyone, reminding us that ordinary people’s choices can create extraordinary change.

Sad Stories

2026-02-13 21:39:30 UTC

https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.111/?sp=8&st=image&r=-0.066,0.462,1.338,1.113,0

I read a few pages of the North Carolina excerpt. It's impressive to see firsthand writing, knowing that knowledge was illegal for black people. I'm glad that their stories are still being shared despite an attempt for oppression.