"Wade in the Water": An Oral History of Black and Blue on Virginia Key Beach

• In Event: Critical Conversations About Identity and Equity in History Education

Abstract

The extant literature is consistent in that students often learn very little about the historical experiences of people of African descent in their social studies courses. Indeed, research indicates that the depictions of Blacks are often plagued with distortions and inaccuracies. Thus, in this community-based oral history project, the researchers utilized the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami, FL as a site for developing greater knowledge about the historical lived experiences of African Americans and engaging students in historical content knowledge. Findings highlighted counter-narratives of segregation as it is commonly depicted in social studies education.

Authors

• Clarence V. Walker, Barry University

• Valerie G. M. Scott, Barry University

• Ruth Ban, Barry University