UF helps preserve the voices of history

February 16, 2010

(Note: This story appears as the feature story in today’s biweekly print edition of InsideUF, p. 3 of the Alligator.)

Students of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, known as SPOHP, will bring history to life in the Gainesville community during Black History Month.

“A lot of people on campus are pushing for major initiatives for black history,” Paul Ortiz, director of SPOHP, said.

University of Florida faculty and students of the SPOHP are working to preserve and promote local history by educating the community on past projects in Mississippi, and by implementing similar initiatives locally.

Ortiz led a small group of students on a research trip this past summer to expose them to the prominent black history of Indianola, Miss. For five days, the students recorded personal anecdotes of locals who experienced the civil rights movement.

The public is invited to a multimedia presentation of the Mississippi project from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Gainesville’s Civic Media Center, 433 S. Main St. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session with a panel of SPOHP students.

Currently the project interviews are in the process of being uploaded as part of a digital library. Select narratives will be available through iTunes podcasts.

Candice Ellis, UF senior, conducted about five interviews during the research trip. She said that hearing the stories really brought history to life and changed her perspective.

“You can’t compare reading a history book to speaking to these people in person,” she said.

Because the oral histories are subjective, they provide deeper insight to history than a text book, Ortiz said.

“They can tell you what it feels like to step into a ditch because a white person was walking on the sidewalk,” Ortiz said. “Or how it feels to have to explain to your daughter why she can’t drink out of the water fountain.”

To arrange a local oral-history recording, e-mail Kirsten.wetherbee@gmail.com.