Crafting Inclusive Histories: Centering Marginalized Voices
History, when told from a singular perspective, distorts more than it reveals. For generations, dominant narratives — often shaped by colonial powers, elite institutions, or patriarchal systems — have obscured the contributions, experiences, and voices of marginalized communities. Crafting inclusive histories is not merely about filling gaps; it’s about reshaping how we understand the past, […]
Using Theater as a Tool for Public History Education
History is more than facts and dates—it is the lived experience of people, their voices, emotions, and contradictions. For public historians, making the past accessible and engaging to diverse audiences requires more than exhibits or articles. One powerful, often underused method is theater. From reenactments of courtroom trials to community-devised performances about local struggles, theater […]
How to Analyze Autobiographies as Historical Sources
Autobiographies occupy a unique space in the historian’s toolkit. As personal narratives told in the author’s own voice, they offer intimate insights into individual lives and lived experiences. From political memoirs to grassroots testimonies, autobiographies can reveal the emotions, motivations, and perceptions that more formal documents obscure. Yet for all their narrative richness, autobiographies are […]
Ethical Considerations in Collecting Oral Testimonies
Oral history offers a powerful avenue for capturing lived experiences that often go unrecorded in written sources. It gives voice to individuals whose stories illuminate the past from the ground up—be they war veterans, factory workers, displaced persons, or everyday witnesses of historical events. But with this power comes responsibility. Collecting oral testimonies is not […]
Digital Archiving for Beginners: Tools and Best Practices
Whether you’re a seasoned historian, an undergraduate researcher, or an oral history enthusiast, preserving historical material in digital formats is no longer optional—it’s essential. Digital archiving ensures that documents, interviews, photographs, and other artifacts are accessible, searchable, and protected against physical degradation. However, for those new to the practice, digital archiving can seem overwhelming. What […]
How to Start Your Own Oral History Project
Oral history is more than recording someone’s story — it’s the preservation of lived experience, memory, and perspective. Whether you’re a local historian, an educator, or a curious student, launching your own oral history project can be an enriching way to contribute to the historical record. This guide walks you through the key phases of […]