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Dr. Ortiz is teaching an intro to oral history course…

SPOHP Director Dr. Paul Ortiz is teaching a course this spring on oral history! This interdisciplinary seminar is an intensive introduction to the theory and practice of oral history. Students will have access to the resources of the award-winning Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. We will learn the craft of oral history interviewing and digital […]

From Segregation to Black Lives Matter Symposium: free registration available now!

2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the African American History Project at the University of Florida. Funded by the UF Office of the Provost, this research initiative has resulted in over twenty-five public history programs, university seminars on African American studies, conference presentations and scores of community-based oral history and Black History workshops across the country. The new collection includes over six hundred oral histories with African American elders in Florida telling stories of memories of slavery, resistance to segregation, anti-black racial violence, the coming of the modern civil rights movement and narratives of Black and Latinx intersectionality among many other topics.

Video of Dr. Ortiz Book Talk

Click this link for a videotaped version (87 min.) of the 8/28 book talk presented at Smathers Library East by Dr. Paul Ortiz, Director of SPOHP, on his recent book: An African and Latinx History of the United States. It was kindly co-sponsored and hosted by the Smathers Libraries’ Latin American and Caribbean Collection. YouTube […]

SPOHP Contributes Travel Support for OHA Conference Attendees from Hurricane-Affected Areas

The OHA’s Day of Giving last year raised money for scholarships to fund travel to the Annual OHA Conference for those in hurricane-affected areas. With matching funds provided by the Chao Center for Asian Studies at Rice University and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida, the OHA was able to […]

Check Out Our Students’ Reflections On Our Annual Mississippi Freedom Trip

Check out these reflections our students wrote just after their successful and exciting trips doing oral history fieldwork in the Mississippi Delta as part of our Mississippi Freedom Project! The Mississippi Freedom Project (MFP) is an award-winning archive of 200+ oral history interviews conducted with veterans of the civil rights movement and notable residents of […]

Commemorating Black and Brown Wednesday

As we work diligently on our documentary project on the history of Institute of Black Culture and Institute of Hispanic and Latino Affairs, today we commemorate the one-year anniversary of Black and Brown Wednesday, a historical moment at the University of Florida. On July 12, 2017, No La IBCita and their supporters, protested the proposal […]

SPOHP Scholars present at National Civil Rights Conference

SPOHP Undergraduate Research Coordinator Oliver Tesluma and undergraduate Political Science major, as well as SPOHP alums Assistant Professor Jessica Taylor of Virginia Tech and George Washington University doctoral student Candice Ellis, presented papers at the 8th National Civil Rights Conference, which took place on June 17-20, 2018 in Meridian and Philadelphia, Mississippi. This year’s conference theme was “Lets Rise, Advocate, Educate and Cooperate.” Their papers were presented during a panel presentation entitled, Recording Civil Rights History: the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) and the Mississippi Freedom Project.

Our Mississippi Freedom Project Summer 2018 Fieldwork Trip

We will be continuing our Mississippi Freedom Project this Summer to travel to the Mississippi Delta for our annual fieldwork trip July 15th – 22nd. The Mississippi Freedom Project (MFP) is an award-winning archive of 200+ oral history interviews conducted with veterans of the civil rights movement and notable residents of the Mississippi Delta. The collection centers […]

Our Summer B Intro to Oral History Course Will Focus on FL Farmworker History

Summer B 2018, July 2 – August 10 AMH 3593: Introduction to Oral History Course Overview This course will introduce students to the theories and methods of oral history. Oral history is an important methodological approach to documenting the past which allows historians to engage directly with narrators who share their life experiences touching on […]

From Colored to Black: The Stories of North Central Florida

We will be sharing nine dramatic vignettes created by our students and performed by members of the local theatre community with our performance, “From Colored to Black: The Stories of North Central Florida,” at the Harn Museum of Art‘s Museum Nights this Thursday night! The performance, a partnership with Actors’ Warehouse, Inc., will take place 6:00-7:00PM in […]

Now on UFDC: “Keep Your Trash” (1971) First Documentary on Memphis Sanitation Worker’s Strike

“Keep Your Trash” 1971 Documentary on Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike Newly Released for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations on UF Digital Collections Gainesville, FL—Award-winning PBS documentarian Churchill Roberts was a doctoral student at the University of Iowa in 1971 when he produced the first documentary film recounting events of the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation […]

Our Year-End Journal is Available Now

Dear Friends of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, As you will read in this exciting end-of- year progress report, SPOHP has reached more students, scholars, and members of the general public than ever. We have conducted community-based oral history workshops with churches, businesses, university classes, veteran’s groups, African American history museums, Native American nations […]

Black and Latinx History of the Gator Nation: Spring 2018 Course

AFA 4931: A BLACK AND LATINXHISTORY OF THE GATOR NATION This upcoming Spring, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program is offering a oral history methods course course called Black and Latinx History of the Gator Nation. Students enrolled in this course in Spring 2018 (MWF 5th) will create new archives on Black and Latinx history […]

Spring 2018 Internship: The Jacob Lawrence Project

This semester-long academic internship is available to graduate and undergraduate students for credit. In partnership with the Harn Museum, SPOHP, and The Actors’ Warehouse Community Theater, interns will develop an original site-specific performance by exploring connections between archived oral history interviews with Black residents of North Central Florida and iconic artwork by Jacob Lawrence (harn.ufl.edu/jacoblawrence). […]

Farmworkers Irma Relief

Gainesville residents and UF community: there are ways to help the Immokalee community by dropping off goods at multiple on-campus locations. Items will be transported to Immokalee first on September 23, and then again in two weeks. #HurricaneIrmaRelief A list of items includes: Charcoal Lighters Diapers Baby wipes Bug spray Underwear Socks Tarps Non-perishable or canned […]

Mississippi Freedom Fieldwork Panel Sept. 27

Mississippi Freedom Fieldwork Panel Presentation Ustler Hall Wednesday, Sept. 27th 3:00 PM On Wednesday the 27th the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program will host a panel of students to discuss their experience interviewing in Mississippi. This panel celebrates SPOHP’s 10th year of sending students out to the Mississippi Delta region to interview those involved in […]

“Surviving & Resisting: Defending DACA A Toolkit For DREAMers.”

We wanted to share a sheet that the directors of the IC-Race (Immigration, Critical Race and Cultural Equity) Lab at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Drs. Nayeli Y. Chavez- Dueñas and Hector Y. Adames developed, “Surviving & Resisting: Defending DACA A Toolkit For DREAMers.” Please share widely with anyone who may benefit from this toolkit; the […]

SPOHP Open House Scheduled for Sept. 29

September 29th from noon to 2 PM, SPOHP is hosting an Open House in the SPOHP office to welcome students and faculty alike to get acquainted with our program, staff and dozens of exciting on going projects. Visitors can expect to enjoy refreshments as they learn about SPOHP’s fieldwork, internships, and volunteer opportunities as well as our many upcoming public […]

SPOHP Intern at the Defend DACA/Save TPS Rally at Orlando City Hall

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SPOHP intern Chelsey Hendry Simmons attended the Defend DACA/Save TPS Rally at Orlando City Hall. The rally was held just one hour after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump Administration would be rescinding DACA, the Obama-era executive order protecting over 800,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children from deportation. The […]

MCDA’s Anti-Racism Education Week

MCDA is proud to present: Anti-Racism Education Week. Come join us as we engage in an event series on anti-racism education, self-care, and education on the first amendment. This is a great opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, and peers on how to challenge racism and bigotry on our campus and in our community. TUESDAY […]

SPOHP-ed Written by Mississippi Freedom Trip Researchers Published in the Gainesville Sun

Marcela Murillo and Chad Chavira participated in our 10th Annual Mississippi Freedom Project trip last month. Check out their op-ed, “Effects of Till’s Murder Still Felt Today,” through which they reflect on their experiences in the Mississippi Delta. Co-writing credits to UF students Nicole Yapp and Toni-Lee Maitland: Marcela Murillo and Chad Chavira: Effects of […]

SPOHP Sponsoring the Jacob Lawrence Workshop

SPOHP is sponsoring a Jacob Lawrence workshop at the Harn Museum June 24th at 12:30PM, featuring a discussion of Jacob Lawrence’s life and work, and upcoming exhibition, “History, Labor, Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence.” This exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of influential American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). Lawrence was primarily concerned with the narration of […]

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s Summer 2017 Newsletter

50 Years of Collaboration “From participating in interviews, to engaging with the collection, to attending SPOHP’s events, the public is the lifeforce behind SPOHP’s past, present, and future.” -Dr. Paul Ortiz This jubilee year, SPOHP wants to reflect, say thank you and plan for the future. Thanks to our supporters, SPOHP has had one of its most productive […]

Spring 2017 Internship Class Podcasts: Civic Engagement

With the help of coordinators Raja Rahim and Ryan Thompson, the Spring 2017 interns produced podcasts about Civic Engagement at the University of Florida. University of Florida Digital Collections Archive To date, 90+ oral history podcast pieces are available on the University of Florida’s Digital Collections website, including final projects for internship classes, as well as […]

Safe Spaces: Episode 2 – “Friends with Weapons”

http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/05/48/49/00001/Safe%20Spaces%20OHFC.mp3   This episode of the Safe Spaces series focuses on an African American armed defense organization that protected Civil Rights Movement demonstrators in Ocala, Florida in the 1960s. Challenging the misconception that the Civil Rights Movement was based entirely on non-violence, the story of the Ocala Hunting and Fishing Club illustrates the diversity of […]

Fall 2017 Internship Applications Are Now Available

The Fall 2017 Internship Application is now open!  SPOHP’s semester-long academic internship is available to graduate and undergraduate students for credit as an introduction to the field of oral history. The Fall 2017 Social Justice Initiatives internship offers a space for students to pursue their own interests in social justice research through training and mentoring in […]

Big News: We’re On the Air!

Beginning Thursday, March 16th, the SPOHP Radio Hour hits the airwaves DAILY at 8:00 a.m. on WUBA 88.1 FM. Drawing from the 7,500+ interviews in the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program archive at the University of Florida, the SPOHP Radio Hour will air daily at 8 am on WUBA 88.1 FM with fascinating stories on people from all walks […]

Line Wraps Around Theater in Tacoma, WA for “Love and Solidarity”

Filmmaker Michael Honey raves about a successful turn out at a screening of Love and Solidarity at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, Washington.   Friends, In Tacoma last night, the Grand Cinema theater was packed with about 120 people  and 20 or more lined up outside and unable to get a seat. “Love and Solidarity” looks […]

Public Screening of “Gator Tales”

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program in conjunction with Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency will host a free film screening (PDF) of “Gator Tales,” the award-winning theatrical performance which highlights the experiences of the first generation of African American students at the University of Florida. The screening will be Friday, February 17, 2017 at Bo Diddley Plaza […]

Safe Spaces: Episode 1 – No Place Like Home

This first episode of the Safe Spaces series spring-boards off of the controversial acceptance letter sent out this year to incoming students of the University of Chicago, and it follows a racially charged and abnormally divisive presidential election. It explores what a safe space means to different students and faculty at the University of Florida and what influences them to create those spaces on campus. We will be examining what it took to put institutes such as IBC and La Casita in place as well as the significance of Ethnic Studies programs for students of all walks of life.

UF School of Theatre and Dance to Stage Encore Performance of “Gator Tales” at 2015 Oral History Association Annual Meeting in Tampa

On Thursday, October 15, 2015, an encore performance of “Gator Tales” will be performed at the Oral History Association Annual Meeting at the Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa, Florida.

Like a bird, like a plane…it’s SPOHP! with Tuskegee Airman Daniel Keel

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The Veterans History Project (VHP) and Alachua County African-American History Project (AAHP) were high up in the sky this week with Mr. Daniel Keel, who served as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II! Check out photos of the interview and 1942 Vultee BT-13 Valiant flight, piloted by Chris Hoefli, a B-52 pilot and Iraq War veteran. […]

“Stetson Kennedy’s America,” lecture by Dr. Paul Ortiz at the Civic Media Center, Now Available Online

The Civic Media Center in Gainesville, Florida, is the repository for many of the late Stetson Kennedy’s books. Dr. Paul Ortiz discusses Stetson Kennedy’s life and legacy, and is joined by Sandra Parks Kennedy, wife of Stetson Kennedy, as she remembers her husband’s life.

SPOHP and Cone Park Library Partner for Special Emancipation Day Program May 20, 2015

Gainesville, FL—The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) in conjunction with the Cone Park Library will be hosting a special Emancipation Day program at the Cone Park Library on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 2:30-4:00 pm.  The program is designed for children ages K-6 but is open to all. During the program, attendees will learn […]

February 27, 2015, A Tale of Three, Female Activists: Women in the Civil Rights Movement Panel at the Museum of Florida History

On February 27, 2015, as Black History Month was coming to a close and the eve of International Women’s History Month was approaching, Dr. Ortiz, several SPHOP coordinators and SPOHP’s official event photographer, Mr. Clayton, visited the “Civil Rights in the Sunshine State” Exhibit at the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee.

Staged Reading: “Threads of Silver and Gold – Women of the Panama Canal” on Feb. 20

Playwright and director Deborah B. Dickey has created a play in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. Threads of Silver and Gold: Women of the Panama Canal looks at the role of women who arrived from the West Indies, England and the United States during the construction period of the canal. The […]

UF School of Theatre and Dance Presents “Gator Tales” in February 2015 with Alachua County African American History Project

From February 13 to 22, the UF School of Theatre and Dance will perform a new drama entitled Gator Tales, an original play devised and directed by Professor Kevin Marshall in conjunction with the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP). This is the first time that interviews from the SPOHP collection have been adapted […]

UF in Selma: 50 Years Later with the Daniel Harmeling Papers

by Justin Dunnavant, AAHP Graduate Coordinator This year marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous march in Selma, Alabama and with the recent release of the movie “Selma,” we thought it would be appropriate to compile a digital exhibit highlighting the connections between UF and the Selma march. The following articles and images from the […]

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: “Keep Your Trash” on the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike of 1968, Now on UFDC

Award-winning PBS documentarian Churchill Roberts was a doctoral student at the University of Iowa in 1971 when he produced the first documentary film recounting events of the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers strike and assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Four decades after its original release, “Keep Your Trash” is now newly digitized and […]

Annual Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Awards Ceremony to Honor Gainesville Citizens, December 7

The Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, with Rev. Milford Griner, will remember  Rosa Parks and honor local leaders with the Quiet Courage Awards on Sunday, December 7 at 3:30 p.m. Past honorees have included Andrew Mickle, Rev. Dr. T.A. Wright, Sr., and Sherry Dupree, among many others. RSVP on  Facebook Photo by Brad McClenny, The Gainesville Sun, December 1, 2013.

Florida Voices: African American History In the Sunshine State To The Civil Rights Era, Volume 1 (2012)

Professor Paul Ortiz (Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program University of Florida) Marna Weston (AAHP Coordinator) By Ryan Morini, Jessica Lancia, and Marna Weston The guide has been loosely organized around three basic themes. The first, “Racial Discrimination and Violence: Jim Crow and its Legacy in Florida,” includes clips that discuss clear instances of racial discrimination in various […]

Florida Voices: African American History In the Sunshine State To The Civil Rights Era, Volume 2 (2014)

Professor Paul Ortiz (Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program University of Florida) By Ryan Morini, Justin Hosbey, Anna Jimenez, and Toni-Lee Maitland This guide is organized around three themes. The first theme, “Education,” includes clips that discuss the educational experiences of African American children from North Central Florida during the Jim Crow era. Narratives discuss the […]

AAHP Research Topics and Resources: Oral History Interviews

The African American History Project currently lists 300+ oral history interviews online. Audio and interview transcripts can be accessed in the SPOHP offices. Supporters can donate to the Share A Story Campaign to contribute to processing this collection. [left] AAHP001             Rosa B Williams AAHP002             GWER PANEL AAHP003             Joe S. Dell AAHP004A          Issac Chandler, Jr. AAHP007         […]

March 12, 2014, “The Florida Civil Rights Struggle: Past & Present”

March 12, 2014, “The Florida Civil Rights Struggle: Past & Present” panel discussion By Emily Nyren, Intern alumni and Volunteer Event Press Release (PDF) In the News: “UF students get immersed in the history of civil rights,” The Gainesville Sun, by Jeff Schweers, March 10, 2014, and “Several give stark accounts of segregation-era racism,” The Gainesville Sun, by Jeff […]

African American History Project, Joel Buchanan (FAB-039)

Joel Buchanan, a longtime Gainesville resident and noted local historian, reflects on the circumstances and experiences of his high school education, when he participated in public school desegregation by being among one of the first students to integrate Gainesville High School. He graduated from GHS with honors and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UF, […]

January 15, 2014, “Trouble the Water” Film Screening & Symposium

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January 15, 2014, “Trouble the Water” Film Screening & Symposium By Emily Nyren, Intern Alumni and Volunteer  On January 15, 2014, SPOHP hosted renowned documentary filmmaker Tia Lessin for a film screening and symposium related to her award-winning film, “Trouble the Water.”  In the afternoon, the UF Center for Women’s Studies held a symposium discussion, and […]

Now on UFDC: “Keep Your Trash” (1971) First Documentary on Memphis Sanitation Worker’s Strike

“Keep Your Trash” 1971 Documentary on Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike Newly Released for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations on UF Digital Collections Gainesville, FL—Award-winning PBS documentarian Churchill Roberts was a doctoral student at the University of Iowa in 1971 when he produced the first documentary film recounting events of the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation […]

Recap: Reflections from the Oral History Association 47th Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, OK

From October 9-13, the Oral History Association hosted its 47th annual conference in Oklahoma City, OK. The conference featured presentations from researchers from around the world, including members of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Dr. Paul Ortiz, Joanna Joseph, and Graduate Coordinators Jessica Taylor, Justin Dunnavant,  and Ryan Morini. Justin Dunnavant The Oral History conference gave […]

Recap: Reflections from the 98th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in Jacksonville, FL

During the first week of October, the African American History Project (AAHP) presented at the 98th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in Jacksonville. The panel, entitled “Teach Them How to Sing: Harry T. Moore and Patricia Due, Florida’s Activist Educators” featured presentations from Attorney John […]

“Making Emancipation: From a Black Reconstruction to a Black President” by Dr. Paul Ortiz at ASALH

On October 5, 2013, SPOHP Director Dr. Paul Ortiz gave the following plenary address at the annual Association for the Study of the African American Life and History conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Ortiz moderated the SPOHP panel, “Teach Them How to Sing: Harry T. Moore and Patricia Due, Florida’s Activist Educators,” featuring presentations from […]

“Dr. King’s Legacy During the Age of Obama: A Call for an Authentic Multiracial Democracy” by Dr. Carlos Muñoz

On January 24, 2013, Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and SPOHP Advisory Board member, gave the following speech at Kent State University. Dr. Muñoz was the keynote speaker at Kent State’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, themed “Empowering the Individual, Strengthening the […]

98th Annual National Conference for the Study of African American Life and History, Oct. 2-6

October 2-6, 2013, SPOHP will be attending the 98th Annual Conference for the Study of African American Life and History in Jacksonville, Florida, “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” The ASALH Annual Meeting is an occasion to explore the history and culture of Africans and people […]

Graduate Coordinator to Teach Pan-Africanism Course in Fall 2013

“Pan-Africanism,” Justin Dunnavant Tues 2:00pm – 3:00pm, Thurs 2:00pm AFA 4931, AFS 4935, ANT 4930 Broadly defining Pan-Africanism as a political and cultural movement as well as an ideology, this course will trace the intellectual genealogy of Pan-African thought into the 20th century. Geographically, we will focus heavily on Pan-Africanism in the United States, England, […]

Remembering Local Educator Susie Mae White

Susie Mae White, a retired Alachua County educator, author, businesswoman and dedicated church mother, died March 30, 2013 of natural causes at Woodland Care Center in southwest Gainesville. Mrs. White was born in Madison County Florida to the late Rev. John A. Williams and Lucy Crawford Williams. Her education began at Rochelle Elementary, and graduated […]

An Overview of Past AAHP Workshops

Community Oral History Workshop: Lawtey, FL (July 20,2011) The Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church of Lawtey invited SPOHP to conduct an oral history workshop, meet and interview community members who marched in St. Augustine during The Movement. Marna Weston lead a workshop with a live interview and post interview discussion. Community Oral History Workshop: Starke, FL […]