DC Public Library, The People’s Archive

Content Description

Oral history interviews recorded by students in the Real World History class at Center for Inspired Teaching.

Scope and Contents The collection contains approximately 270 black and white prints and 83 slides, the majority of which depict the African-American community of the Southwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., primarily from the 1920s through the 1970s. The photographs document a historic neighborhood that would be largely razed in the 1950s and 1960s, dramatically changing the landscape and population of the neighborhood. The photographs of streets, businesses, and buildings provide visual...

Scope and Contents

Between 1972 and 1992 the Library conducted 29 oral history interviews with individuals who had a long association with and knowledge of Washington D.C. Topics include childhood experiences, segregation, religion, neighborhoods, education, communities, employment, demographics and social life. The interviews were organized and conducted by Marcia M. Greenlee and Roxanna Deane.

Scope and Contents From 2005 and 2007, Ingrid Drake coordinated the Ivy City Oral History Project, in collaboration with the youth of Ivy City Achievers. She interviewed and supervised interviews with residents of the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The project was part of a larger initiative of Empower D.C., a grassroots nonprofit in D.C., called the Ivy City Neighborhood and Oral History Project, which began in 2004. The larger initiative arose from a plan to preserve Alexander Crummell School in...

Scope and Contents

In 1993, Jeff Koenreich conducted these oral histories for the Library's Oral History Project. Residents of the Striver Section of the Shaw neighborhood were interviewed. Topics include the history of the neighborhood, childhood, family, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, and the community.

Scope and Contents

In 2001 the Oral History Committee of Historic Takoma received a grant from Montgomery County's Historic Preservation Commission to conduct interviews with three longtime residents of Takoma Park, Maryland. Topics include public schools, World War II, architecture, real estate development, transportation, the African-American community, race relations, churches, and recreation in the neighborhood and metropolitan area. All interviews were conducted Eilene McGuckian.

Content Description

Digital recordings of 20 oral history interviews by DCPL Special Collections Librarian Kelly Navies and related digital documents. 18 of the recordings are about the U Street cultural corridor. All of the U Street interviews have logs and two of them also have transcripts. Digital photographs and other documents were also included in the U Street transfer. There is also an interview with DC author Edward P. Jones, in 2 parts.