Oral History, Collaboration, and Multimodality in the Harlem Education History Project

• In Event: 34.042 - Collaborative Public History: Engaging the Public Through Multimodal Mechanisms and Methodologies

Abstract

The Harlem Education History Project documents and shares the history of education in this important black community. One aspect of the project’s work has been conducting oral histories with former students, teachers, and community members connected to Harlem schools. This presentation first traces how collaboration has developed over time in the project - within and among university-based researchers and students and local community members - around a shared commitment to oral history as an important form of evidence. Then it will review the multimodal approaches to sharing oral history and other evidence on the project website and in project events, considering the strengths and weaknesses of these. It will close with discussion of the project’s next steps in these areas.

Author

• Ansley T. Erickson, Teachers College, Columbia University