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 Between 1997 and 1999 the D.C. Public Library and Councilmember Hilda Mason's office jointly sponsored a program to conduct oral histories of D.C. Statehood movement leaders. The project was funded by a grant from the D.C. Humanities Council and documents the experiences of 10 important Statehood movement leaders. The interviews cover such topics as memories of activist Julius Hobson, the early founding of the Statehood Party, local politics and referendums, constitutional convention, and...

Content Description This oral history project documents the Deaf Community in Washington, D.C. during a time when educational, employment, and recreational activities were limited due to communication barriers between Deaf and hearing people and misconceptions about what Deaf people can accomplish. The project explores how the Deaf Community created organizations to fill the social, recreational, educational, and spiritual needs which were inaccessible due to communication barriers. The project was conducted by...

Scope and Contents On February 27, 1993, the Washingtoniana Division held a public panel entitled “Milestone on the Road to Self-Government” at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The panel was part of the 20th Annual Conference on Washington, D.C. Historical Studies. Panelists included John Bonner Duncan, Walter E. Washington, John Hechinger, and Charles Horsky, prominent D.C. politicians who played key roles in D.C.’s transition from the three-commissioner-led government to home rule in 1973. The panel...

Content Description

Digital audio recordings and PDF transcripts of 10 oral history interviews recorded by Shaw Library staff to document the Shaw neighborhood and the effect of the 1968 riots on its community.

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.