Black stories preserved in digital archives available at SMU
This Black History Month, SMU Libraries is proud to highlight resources available to Mustangs that allow users to engage with and learn about Black history. These archival resources preserve the stories of Black individuals – some with connections to SMU – and are valuable for their ability to teach others about stories and experiences they may not encounter elsewhere.
One such resource is The HistoryMakers Digital Archive, which houses over 150,000 stories assembled from oral history interviews. The non-profit explains its purpose as “to record, preserve and disseminate the content of video oral history interviews highlighting the accomplishments of individual African Americans and African-American-led groups and movements,” and interviews continue to be conducted to this day. Individuals interested in searching the archive can navigate by searching for a particular historical context, biographical theme (such as formative experiences), and themes such as hope, courage, and character.
Another resource which highlights Black stories is Qwest TV EDU, which, according to the platform, “preserves diverse live performances, covering the evolution of jazz and beyond — representing funk, soul, hip-hop, folk, indie, electronic, blues, and other eclectic world genres.” Of particular interest is the resource’s content showcasing performances distinguished by their “legacies of African musical history and innovation.” When viewing such a performance, contextual information is displayed for the viewer so they can better engage with and understand the content they are seeing and hearing.
SMU, however, does not only make available archival resources – it also is responsible for creating an archive of its own. The SMU Oral History Projects’ digital collection features oral history projects conducted by students on either Dallas or SMU topics of interest. One initiative called the Voices of SMU Oral History Project is a collaboration between the William P. Clements Department of History, SMU Libraries (SMU Archives & the Norwick Center for Digital Solutions), and SMU graduate and undergraduate students, who interview SMU alumni, faculty, and staff from underrepresented groups. One area of focus is the preservation of Black stories at SMU – to engage with these stories, visit the digital collections hosted through SMU Libraries.
