Behind every neighborhood or community, are countless stories of struggle, resilience, connection, and change. When those stories are not preserved, something essential is lost: not just our sense of the past, but our ability to make sense of the present and imagine what’s possible for the future. Oral history is a powerful practice for preserving the lived experiences, knowledge, and memories that define who we are and illuminate the path forward. In this 2 hour introductory workshop, you will be introduced to the practice of oral history and why it matters. You will learn interview tips and practical tools to build an oral history project from the ground up.

Facilitator | Educator: Amaka Okechukwu, Ph.D, is an interdisciplinary scholar engaged in research on social movements, race, Black communities, and public history, working as an Associate Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She formerly served as the oral historian and associate archivist at Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. and as the project coordinator of the Voices of Crown Heights oral history collection and affiliated public engagement at Brooklyn Historical Society. She is the author of the award-winning To Fulfill These Rights: Political Struggle Over Affirmative Action and Open Admissions.