Civil Rights Oral History

The Civil Rights Movement, a transforming event in American history, remains a key focus for oral history projects and research.  Surviving eyewitnesses continue to relate invaluable memories and testaments for future generations. 

A Class of One -- In an interview with correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault of the PBS (Public Broadcasting System) program Newshour, Ruby Bridges Hall recounts her experiences as a 6-year-old girl thrust into the national spotlight.  Hall was the first African American to attend a desegregated elementary school in New Orleans.

The Civil Rights Documentation Project -- A project underway at The University of Southern Mississippi, this site indexes and locates the historical records and interviews with key figures related to all aspects of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Narrative of Rosa Parks -- In this brief but eloquent statement, Rosa Parks, a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, details the events of December 1, 1955, when she refused to obey the laws of the city of Montgomery, Alabama requiring her to sit in the back of the bus.

Remembering Jim Crow -- From American Radioworks, an initiative of NPR (National Public Radio), this site captures the experiences of those who endured the legalized oppression of the segregation era.  Audio files and transcripts of interviews keep invaluable memories alive.

Voices of Civil Rights:  Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories  -- This web site is a joint project by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), and the Library of Congress.  Audio files provide firsthand accounts from those who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Voices of Freedom -- This online exhibit, presented by the Special Collections Department of VCU's James Branch Cabell Library, describes a project to videotape interviews with Virginians who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement.  The exhibit features a list of interviewees, links to sites on African American History, and a research guide to Brown vs. Board of Education.

Virginia Black History Archives  |  Special Collections and Archives

VCU Libraries Online Exhibits

_________________________________________________________

[Back to Main Page]