Dr. Valinda Littlefield shares tips on successful oral history projects.
By: Dr. Valinda Littlefield
May 28, 2024
The Ask an Expert series features Q + A’s with people who are experts in a particular field or who have a depth of knowledge around historic preservation. We ask experts a variety of short answer questions and ask for their advice to Black preservation projects and leaders.
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Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you. How did you get started in your field? What kind of projects have you worked on?
I’ve taught U.S. History for the past 25 years and my field is African American experiences 1840-present. My love of stories started around five years old with visits that my great-grandmother and I made to her friends’ homes in rural North Carolina. I started doing oral interviews in 1987 in undergraduate school at North Carolina Central University. My first interviews were with African American administrators, teachers, and students at segregated schools. I’ve also worked with the Georgetown Public Library and the National Endowment for the Humanities on several projects. Short-term oral history projects have included Beaufort, Lincolnville, Greenville, Eastover, and Columbia. Each semester, I have assigned oral history projects to USC students.
Q: How does your work in oral history intersect with preserving Black historic spaces?
Oral histories preserve the experiences people had in historic spaces. For example, without oral interviews, documentation of who gave land to a Rosenwald School, who initiated the request, fundraised, and maintained the schools, leaves out the activism of many in the African American community.
Q: What do African American preservation projects and leaders need to know about oral history? How is it relevant to them?
Oral history is a powerful tool to better understand the silences in written accounts.
Q: What first steps would you recommend for people who are not professionals in oral history?
Get to know the subject of the study and the community members who may be familiar with its history.
Q: What is something many people may not realize about your area of work? (a helpful tip, rule, process, or insider knowledge that people new to this type of work might not realize?)
1) Typical costs vary depending on the size of the project. 2) Once you complete the interviews, share information with the community. 3) Interview family and other community members and provide access to the interviews to an institution capable of archiving and maintaining them!Websites such as the Oral History Association (https://oralhistory.org/) and USC Department of Oral History (https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/oral_history/index.php) can provide resources for conducting interviews.
Q: If you had to give just one piece of advice to folks who are looking to bring oral history into their preservation project, what would it be?
When asking questions, silence is golden. Don’t rush to the next question or help the person answer the question. Let them think about what you have asked. Have patience, listen carefully! Their answers might lead you to a “mother load” not on your list of questions!
