One Community. Many Voices.
Welcome to the new SPOHP Virtual Billboard! Here, you will find important announcements, upcoming SPOHP meetings and agenda items, job opportunities, and more for SPOHP staff, interns and volunteers.
If there is an event or item you feel is important to share with the members of our team, please email
Announcements
African American Studies major
The Board of Trustees voted in favor of the African American Studies major yesterday! That means that it will officially be in effect this fall and we can start to enroll students in it now. If any students are interested in the major, please contact Dr. Sharon D. Wright Austin at polssdw@ufl.edu. We will also be having an affiliate and advisory board lunch meeting and reception on Monday April 1st at 11:30am in the Institute for Black Culture's second floor conference room. Please let Dr. Wright Austin know if you can attend. There will be food there for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
PSHS banquet Sunday April 7th
An anonymous donor has made it possible for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program to attend the Pleasant Street Historic Society's Distinguished Speaker's banquet on Sunday, April 7th (please see attached notice.) There is great food and a host of wonderful people at the event each year.
We have 6 banquet tickets to claim; the only catch is that SPOHP needs to provide names to Melanie within the week. As the old saying goes: first come, first served, so let me know right away if you want to attend.
Please let me know directly if you can attend and I will compile the list for Melanie.
SPOHP Spring Barbecue Extravaganza - Saturday April 27, 2013
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program will be holding our annual spring Barbecue Extravaganza potluck on Saturday, April 27 at Lake Wauburg Outdoor Recreation Center from noon to 3 o'clock. I do hope that you will be able to join us as we celebrate a very successful year!
Please RSVP so that we can have a general idea of how many folks will be attending. SPOHP will provide basic meet menu items, so please bring your favorite side dish, dessert, or drink. Also, please feel free to bring friends and family. Lots of recreational activities for kids at the lake including volleyball, paddle boats, and Frisbee.
We have reserved a covered barbecue spot at the North End of Lake Wauburg (near the paddle boat rentals).
Please spread the word about our spring barbecue to our community contacts in churches, community organizations, and schools. I am thinking particularly of our new friends at Holy Trinity Episcopal, our AAHP collaborators, as well as volunteers. (We may need to make arrangements with the Lake Wauberg staff regarding access to the lake for non-UF folks, but Tamarra has assisted us with this in the past.)
I plan to say a few words at the barbecue about how grateful we are for the tremendous community support we receive in this region, and hope to make this a regular part of the day's festivities.
UF Center for the Humanities and Public Sphere Grant
I have great news to report: SPOHP has been awarded a grant from the UF Center for the Humanities and Public Sphere to support our 2013-2014 "The Role of Historical Memory in Contemporary Activism" public program series.
This award is a testament to our commitment to public history education, the dedication of our volunteers and supporters, as well as the hard work and excellence that we model every day on campus as well as in the broader world.
A special thanks to Tamarra Jenkins, Sarah Blanc, and Deborah Hendrix who all worked closely as a team to write the narrative and budget for this grant. A banner achievement for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program!
OHA's Emerging Crisis Fund Program - Deadline April 1, 2013
Please share this information with students and colleagues on the OHA's Emerging Crisis fund program. This year's deadline is April 1, 2013. I have served as a past awards committee member for the Emerging Crisis program, and will be glad to discuss proposals for the award.
For more information, you can view the WEBSITE.
In Preparation for Prof. Coontz Event
Please read this article in preparation for our upcoming day of events with Stephanie Coontz..........CLICK HERE
April 18, 2013 Health, Medicine and Society - Discussion at the Harn
SPOHP has been doing quite a bit of work with Nina in oral histories with key individuals in Med School/Health Sciences at UF over the past several years so it would be great to get good SPOHP turnout for this event. The invitation is below.
We are taking this opportunity to invite you to attend a special discussion on April 18, 2013 from 3-5 at the Harn Museum of Art's main auditorium. We anticipate that this conversation will be first in a series, promoting greater communication and collaboration among those with interests in the medical humanities. This event will start with a panel discussion with individuals at UF who will describe projects and possibilities, research interests and ongoing research that explores the role of medical humanities- defined broadly to include social sciences, humanities, and fine and performing arts- in health, healing, and healing practices. Following this discussion we will break into group to discuss further potential projects, ongoing work and general interests. We look forward to seeing you at this event! Please RSVP with your availability.
2013-2014 Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program
Attached you will find a press release announcing the deadline and other important information for the 2013-2014 Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program. We encourage applications from expert practitioners of traditional arts and people with a strong commitment to learning and perpetuating Florida folk arts. The annual deadline for applications is May 15.
More information is available on our Website:
www.flheritage.com/preservation/folklife/apprenticeship.
You can download the application.....HERE
Graham Center Civic Scholar - Research Opportunity
Apply to be a Graham Center Civic Scholar
Are you interested in Florida’s water resources and the ways in which Florida’s counties are addressing issues related to water supply? The Graham Center is looking for undergraduate students to conduct research on this critical issue at the county level.
As a Civic Scholar, students will assess an assigned Florida county’s water management and conservation program. Upon satisfactory completion of all project requirements, each scholar will receive a $500 stipend. The application deadline is Monday, Feb. 11 and research must be completed by Monday, April 8. All majors are welcome!
For more information and to apply, visit http://bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu/civic-scholars.
Thank you and have a great day.
Kevin Baron
PhD Student | Department of Political Science
Graduate Assistant | Bob Graham Center for Public Service
2013 National Underground Railroad Conference - Call For Proposals
Double Tree Hotel - Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas - June 19-22
The National Park Service, National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom (NTF) program and friends, will host its annual 2013 National Underground Railroad Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, June 19-22. The theme for this year's conference is The War for Freedom: The Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The conference will commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as the 15th Anniversary of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Traditional notions long held that the Underground Railroad ended with the coming of the Civil War (1861-1865) and more specifically the Emancipation Proclamation (1863). However, this is not true, the struggle for freedom continued in the midst of the nation's unrest. As in the case of previous wars, the Civil War provided opportunities for freedom. Moreover, the Emancipation Proclamation freed only those enslaved people in areas that had seceded from the Union, so those enslaved in areas that were not in rebellion (i.e.Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, and including parts of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia) would have continued to rely on the Underground Railroad. Even in those areas where freedom had been decreed by the proclamation, it was words rather than means. The enslaved still found it necessary to flee or join with the Union Army, either as soldiers or contrabands, in order to enjoy their newly acquired status.
The 2013 National Underground Conference will focus on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, exploring resistance to enslavement through escape and flight during this tumultuous period of the nation's history. As the battle over whether the nation should accept or abolish slavery waged on, people continued to fight against the institution of slavery. The Underground Railroad continued to play an important role, as shown by the continual enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act during the war. It was not until the 13th Amendment eliminated "slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime" that the need for the Underground Railroad ultimately ended. The Conference Program Committee welcomes proposals from a wide variety of scholars, community researchers, site stewards, educators, and others interested in Underground Railroad history.
Presentation topics can include but are not limited to:
- Enslavement and Escape During the Civil War
- Methods of Escape during the Civil War
- Underground Railroad Activities as a precursor to the Civil War
- History and Experience of Contraband Camps
- Contraband Camps and Freedman's Colonies
- Escaped Slaves in the Union Army
- Former Freedom Seekers' Efforts during the Civil War
- Union Use of Contraband Labor
- Living Conditions, Health, and Mortality of Contraband
- Aid and Education among Refugees
- Enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act during the Civil War
- Images of Freedom during the Civil War (i.e. art and photography)
- The Emancipation Proclamation and its Effects on the Underground Railroad
- Civil War Re-Enactments as Commemoration and Education
- Freedom Seekers in Indian Territories during the Civil War
- Underground Railroad Operatives Serving in the military during the Civil War
- Northern Underground Railroad Operatives extending activities into the south during the Civil War
- Freedom Seekers who fought in the US Military during the Civil War
- Attitudes towards Contrabands
- Contrabands and Civil War Policy
Submission Procedure-MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE * EXTENDED DEADLINE FEBRUARY 15, 2013 Proposals can be submitted for (1) panels up to three individuals and a moderator on a particular theme or topic and (2) individual 20 minute presentations. Individual submissions that are accepted will be placed on a panel by the Program Committee. Proposals will be reviewed by the 2013 Conference Program Committee. Accepted proposals expect to receive notification by March 31, 2013.
Registration fee for presenters will be waived. Presenters are responsible for their own conference travel, lodging, transportation, and meals.
To submit a proposal, please visit: http://www.oah.org/nurc/. For more information, please visit: Congratulations to Alan Kent
2nd Annual Summer Oral History Field School - Egypt May 20-June 9
Students are invited to participate in the second annual summer oral history field school in Egypt from May 20-June 9. Students will learn about the Egyptian Revolution through hands on oral history work. The three week study tour includes daily classes as well as visits to Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, the western desert, and the Red Sea.
Cost: $3602 (airfare not included), financial aid possible Students will receive 4 credits (including 1 credit of service learning)
Please direct interested students to : hmorrison@uwlax.edu
Heidi Morrison
Assistant Professor
Department of History
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History
This is a "too good to be true" opportunity. The annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History will be held in Jacksonville in October. We have been asked to consider the possibility of submitting panel proposals on Patricia Stephens Due as well as a panel on Harry T. Moore. I can envision a panel on Patricia where three SPOHPers give him
I encourage you to seize the day, and let me know if I can be helpful in knitting panel/session ideas together. Looks good on your CV, and it's the right thing to do!
Alan Rosen Event Success
Dear UF Oral History Colleagues,
Thank you for the amazing work that you put in for the Alan Rosen public
program. We continue to get emails and calls from people in the broader
community thanking us for organizing Dr. Rosen's visit.
This was a signature event in the history of SPOHP, and a great educational success. All the way from reading "The Wonder of Their Voices", to the WUFT program, as well as the evening of the event. I talked with two couples who drove over two hours to join us on Tuesday!
Dr. Rosen stressed to me that he was inspired by the high level of intellectual engagement that he encountered at UF, as well as the sensitive, welcoming spirit that we showed to him. He was especially impressed by our thoughtful questions and observations during the Q & A and the book-signing and reception.
Again, thank you for your dedicated work. Have a wonderful weekend!
Pugh Hall Sensors
Good afternoon all,
Dr. Prabir Barooh, Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has an NSF grant to fund research concerning energy, temperature, etc. for rooms on UF’s campus. He has asked to use Pugh Hall for part of his research. He has 70 sensors, each the size of an Iphone but thicker (photo attached), he would like to place in offices that have at least one person. The sensor will not invade any privacy but will measure environmental things. Over the next 2 weeks he and/or one of his TAs will ask room occupants for permission to place the sensor. If an occupant refuses, he will abide by that. Pugh Hall is one of a very few “green” buildings on campus. His research will contribute to more knowledge about energy efficiencies.
Please let your folks know that Dr. Barooh may stop by their office so that it is not a surprise to them. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Margaret U. Fields, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Thank you from Billy Townsend
I am forwarding to you a thank-you note from author Billy Townsend who expresses his profound appreciation for his recent book talk at Pugh Hall. Billy greatly enjoyed the vibrant dialog that we all engaged in that day.
You can view his note....HERE.
Catalyst Grant Proposal
I wanted to share our Catalyst Grant proposal with you (attached) as it grows out of the research that so many students at SPOHP have been conducting over the past several years in African American history. We are proposing to work with colleagues in African American Studies, School of Design, and Smathers Libraries on creating a portfolio of ideas pursuant to developing a Florida Civil Rights History monument at UF.
A special thank you to Tamarra Jenkins and Sarah Blanc is in order because the two of them worked very hard on developing the ideas and the budget integral to the completion of the grant narrative. We also owe gratitude to our superb undergraduate and graduate students who have been in dialog with the UF administration about commemorating the Civil Rights Movement on campus.
We are hopeful that this grant proposal will be funded. If and when that happens, I will be in contact with you to help plan our next steps.
You can view the proposal....HERE.
University Scholar Program Grant
Dear Students,
Please consider applying for the University Scholar Program grant. SPOHP'ers Sarah Blanc
and Tanya Azuaje both are past recipients of USP scholarships. Below, you will find a message from Anne Donnelly.
Best Regards,
Paul
- I know some of you have already begun advertising USP, but I am sending the flyer for you to use if you would like. The due date on this flyer is Feb. 15, but I have directed students to look at the individual department requirements to see what the internal date is. You can change it to meet your deadlines as it is in power point. Please send me your lists by March 1. I will notify the students by March 8th, and their orientation will be March 23rd. You may want to add the name of your college contact that the student applications go to.
- Applications materials are found at http://cur.aa.ufl.edu/university-scholars-program.aspx
2013 African American/Latino Histories Seminar
I am teaching my African American/Latino histories seminar this semester and will be encouraging my students to use our newer interviews in these areas. Angela Diaz encouraged her students in her summer seminar on Hispanic/Latino history to use SPOHP interviews and the outcome was very positive. These oral histories can be excellent sources for research projects at UF. However, we have to find more effective ways to promote these collections so that faculty, instructors, and research center directors know that the interviews are available. I've listed Isht as the point person for the SAF interviews, and Marna for the AAHP interviews.
Ideally, student research papers will help us better understand the richness of our collections, and we can deposit these alongside oral history interviews. Here is the representative text in my syllabus that mentions the interviews:
"UF Oral History, Latino and Black Histories, SPOHP has been actively conducting oral history interviews with African Americans and Latinos, and these may be accessed for your final research projects. Links to one interview example may be found...HERE. SPOHP has conducted oral history interviews with alumni of the Student Action with Farmworkers organization at Duke University, and these may be of interest as well. In order to access these interviews, contact Isht Vatsa at: ishtvatsa@gmail.com ; For access to newer oral history interviews with African Americans, contact Marna Weston, coordinator of UF’s African Americans in Alachua County Oral History Project, mweston@ufl.edu.
Gainesville chapter of Veterans for Peace donation to SPHOP
I am pleased to announce that the Gainesville chapter of Veterans for Peace voted in their general membership meeting to contribute $500.00 to the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program in recognition of the work that SPOHP has been doing in preserving and promoting oral histories of veterans from all modern eras of military service.
The Gainesville veterans' organization was particularly heartened that a growing number of our veterans histories are now accessible via the Library of Congress as well as the fact that UF undergraduates are using the interviews in their research projects.
This is a major recognition of the wonderful work that the Proctor Program has been doing in community-based oral history, and we should be proud of this major benchmark.
Student Action with Farmworkers Releases their 20th Anniversary Booklet!
Dear SPOHP'ers,
I hope that all are enjoying a well-deserved holiday break! I wanted to let you know that Student Action with Farmworkers at Duke University has released their 20th anniversary booklet as a PDF, and a good part of our interview work with SAF alumni is featured in the publication.
These interviews have added important insights into Latina/o studies, immigration rights struggles, and the recent history of farm labor. The booklet is classroom ready, fully bilingual (English/Spanish) and it contains many links to additional curriculum materials on related topics including immigration reform, racial formation, and labor economics.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this important initiative, and special thanks to UF undergraduate researcher Isht Vatsa who has been working with SAF for nearly two years to make this happen.
I am especially happy that this research project continues in the tradition that Samuel Proctor emphasized of using oral history to inform positive social change in the present.
Here is the link to the PDF version of the booklet.
Oral History Association - 2013 Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK
The Oral History Association has just issued our annual meeting call for panels, papers, and presentations for our 2013 conference in Oklahoma City. As discussed earlier, the University of Florida needs to ratchet up our participation in this important professional association.
I understand that many of you have been talking informally about putting together panels on a broad range of topics including our Mississippi trips. The OHA offers a travel scholarship program to students and panelists seeking transportation to the conference. In addition, we can discuss within SPOHP the possibility of helping to defray travel costs for panelists--whose proposals are accepted by the OHA program committee--a bit further down the road.
In the meantime, I will be happy to assist you in fine-tuning your full panel suggestions; however, I will rely on you to take the initiative in organizing people, themes, and presentation topics. You can learn more about the 2013 Annual OHA meeting.
The Voice of Witness is extending special discounts to OHA participants through the month of November 2012.
Florida Conference of Historians - March 1-2, 2013
Dear Colleagues,
This is a final reminder that the next annual meeting of the Florida Conference of Historians will be held March 1-2, 2013, at New College of Florida in Sarasota.
Attached to this email are the call for papers, paper proposal form, and registration form for the conference. Additional information is available online.
Those of you who have attended the FCH in the past, welcome back! We look forward to welcoming you to Sarasota. For those who have not previously attended and/or are unfamiliar with the FCH, here are several reasons you might wish to attend:
- Our keynote speaker this year is Dr. Paul Kramer of Vanderbilt University. Dr. Kramer, an influential scholar of 20th century American history in a transnational/global context, is the author of the prize-winning study The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States and the Philippines (University of North Carolina Press, 2006), and is currently at work on a book on the geopolitics of U. S. immigration policy across the 20th century. The title of his keynote address is "You're History: Why We Need the Past."
- The FCH draws participants from a broad range of institutions, including Florida's flagship state universities, private colleges and universities, and state colleges, as well as participants from out of state and out of the country. It's a great place to network, to meet people, and to exchange ideas.
- In addition to serving as a forum for ongoing scholarship by established faculty working in Florida's colleges and universities, the FCH is uniquely welcoming to both graduate and undergraduate students. This year's meeting will be a great opportunity for students of history who would like to gain professional experience by presenting a paper in a welcoming and supportive forum.
- The FCH will award several prizes, including the Thomas Campbell Prize (for the best paper by a faculty member or graduate student) and the J. Calvett Clarke Prize (for the best paper by an undergraduate student). Selected papers will also be published in the conference proceedings. You may browse past proceedings here: http://fch.ju.edu If these reasons aren't enough to motivate you to attend, March is the ideal time to enjoy Sarasota's famous beaches.
To ensure full consideration, paper proposals should be submitted by January 11, 2013. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, and please forward the CFP to anyone who might be interested in participating. I look forward to welcoming you to Sarasota next year!
Best wishes,
David Allen Harvey
Professor of History and Chair, Division of Social Sciences
New College of Florida
Click the form title to download pdfs of each
Call for Papers and Participation
Paper Proposal Form
Registration Form
Upcoming SPOHP Meeting
Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 26th at 11:00am
We will be meeting Tuesday morning (Feb 26) at 11:00 for our February birthday celebration as well as our staff meeting. I will list a few agenda items here, and please feel free to send additional items to Tamarra:
- 1) Stephanie Coontz, preparations for public program
- 2) Timecards, and reporting hours
- 3) Transcription work flow
- 4) Academic internship program
- 5) Summer oral history seminar
- 6) AAHP Report
- 7) Mississippi project update
- 8) Veterans History Project update
- 9) Computer/office equipment update
SPOHP Meeting Minutes and Action Items
Meeting Notes from Nov 28
Read the notes from the November 28th Staff Meeting....HERE
Past Meeting Minutes
Past meeting minutes will also be available here, via links to the notes as pdfs
Scholarship Opportunities
Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge - $1,000
- UF Oral History will once again be a national co-sponsor of National Farmworker Awareness Week, and we have just been made award of this scholarship opportunity:
Student Organizers of the National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge are now eligible for $1000 Scholarships! Students to be selected on first come, first serve basis. One per college campus. Hurry! Click the logo to watch the YouTube video.- They simply have to host a blood drive on their college campus during March or April. The blood drive campaign focuses on the Hispanic/Latino community to promote:
- 1. Health Education
- 2. Health/Science Careers
- 3. Civic Engagement (Cesar E. Chavez)
- 4. Saving Lives! (Blood Donation & Bone Marrow Registry)
- We can show a webinar for you, and answer any questions you or your constituents may have. We invite you all to participate! Nationwide, approximately 300 colleges/universities will participate this Spring. More info below:
- $1000 Scholarship Info: - Application HERE!
- Online Map & PDF List of Participating Schools
- 30-min Online Presentation AND 7-min YouTube Video
- Plaques and Trophies
- Include a blood drive with your National Farmworkers Awareness Week event! Or promote your event, with a blood drive a few weeks before…
Job Opportunities
Careers in Community Organizing for Social Justice
The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center will be hosting a series of webinars for UF students and alumni - January 28, 29, & 30 at 8pm - to discuss careers in the field of community organizing with individuals interested in empowering communities and working for social change.
RSVP by contacting Hannah Wittmer at hannah@thedartcenter.org or calling 785.506.8915 with your name, school, phone #, expected graduation date, and which webinar date you prefer. You will then receive instructions for accessing the webinar.
DART is now accepting applications for the 2013 DART Organizers Institute, the paid training and career placement program for individuals interested in launching a career in community organizing. The DART Center has built coalitions throughout the country that have won important victories on a broad set of justice issues including:
- Education reform in low-performing public schools/li>
- Job Training
- Drugs and Violence
- Criminal Recidivism
- Living Wage
- Neighborhood Revitalization
- Predatory Lending
- Affordable Housing, etc.
The DART Organizers Institute combines a classroom orientation with infield training at a local grassroots organization. Organizers are provided with a cost of living stipend and travel. Graduates of the Organizers Institute are placed into permanent full-time, salaried positions earning $34,000/year + benefits.
The DART Organizers Institute will begin June 24, 2013. Training locations and permanent placements sites include cities in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida.
To find out more about DART or to apply, we encourage you to visit www.thedartcenter.org
or contact Hannah Wittmer at hannah@thedartcenter.org or (785) 506-8915.
The Oral History Review - Book Editor
- The Oral History Review, the official journal of the Oral History Association, is accepting applications for the position of Book Review Editor. The Book Review Editor is responsible for procuring and editing book reviews for two issues of the Review per year, averaging thirty book reviews per issue. Learn More Here!
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Listen to Proctor Podcasts! Stories of World War II, Womens activism & John DeGrove on Sustainable Development in Florida, among other narratives.
Enter SPOHPs Educators Portal for resources you can use in your classroom, including interviews, videos and more!
SPOHP is an official co-sponsor of the OHA's 2013 Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, OK.
Access the listing of books in this amazing collection!
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