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Democratizing Oral History: Sharing the Voices of Black and Indigenous Peoples
Get PDFHear, Here is a critical public oral history project in the South of Horton (SoHo) neighborhood of London Ontario, Canada. The way it functions is that orange street signs with a phone number and the Hear, Here logo are placed in any location where a story (or stories) are told. When a visitor sees the sign and diles the number they hear a short (2 minute or less) oral history about the exact location in which they stand. If they stay on the line they can leave their own story about that location or any other location in the neighborhood. In this way the project becomes user generated, increasing the number of oral histories available for public consumption.
The reason why we choose to SoHo neighborhood for Hear, Here is that it is a neighborhood in flux, undergoing partial gentrification, and going through various battles for meaning. The neighborhood was once a terminus point on the underground railroad, and is currently embroiled in a dispute over what to do with a former “Fugitive Slave Chapel:” white heritage workers from outside the neighborhood would like it to become a museum while a former Black minister of the church would like it to be a community gathering space. Similarly the grounds of the Old Victoria Hospital, which is in the midst of demolition, is under dispute. Should it be made into affordable housing units or expensive condo buildings with access to the Thames River? Hear, Here grapples with the inherent challenges of forging a democracy that gives voice to all of the inhabitants of a neighborhood regardless of race and economic status, while it seeks to amplify the voices of those who go typically unheard
Threads of Change: Oral History in Action
Get PDFHear, Here: Making Oral History Active History www.hearherelacrosse.org www.hearherelondon.org
Hear, Here is an Canadian and American audio-documentary project that brings oral history onto the streets. Orange street-level signs with phone numbers indicate where stories occured. Users call the number to hear a story of the exact location where they stand, and can choose to leave a new story about that location or any other. Many stories told by historically underrepresented groups challenge the traditional narratives of cities which often focus on prosperity and whiteness. In both countries we have chosen gentrifying neighborhoods and seek to identify the uniqueness of the neighborhood before its traditional occupants are displaced. The stories help stakeholders see the importance of the diversity of the neighborhood and therefore strategize to preserve the socioeconomic and racial diversity
