January 21 - 28, 2000
Oral History Captures Past
If you're thinking about tracing your family tree, consider an oral history project. "Until recently, historians discouraged the use of oral histories, preferring paper documents instead," says UAB historian Horace Huntley, Ph.D., who directs the oral history project at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. "But oral history projects have now gained acceptance."
Huntley offers these tips:
1) Begin by interviewing the oldest member of your family.
2) Use a tape recorder; a video recorder would be even better.
3) Questions may vary depending on the interviewee, but it's important to ask about birthplaces, land ownership, and the family's migratory patterns. For instance, why did great grandfather move to the North or out West?
4) Finally, transcribe your recordings.
Call Gail Short, Media Relations, 205-934-8931, or [email protected].
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