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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 […]

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 […]

Home Away from Home: Remembering Refugees in Florida

Welcoming Gainesville and Alachua County and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida are holding a public event titled “Home Away from Home: Remembering Refugees in Florida” on September 20, 2018 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at Pugh Hall Ocora (296 Buckman Drive Gainesville FL 32611). The event will feature the oral history of refugees in Jacksonville, Florida, collected by Seyeon Hwang, a doctoral student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida, and various state-wide and national efforts in refugee advocacy, followed by a talk-back session with refugees and refugee resettlement professionals from Florida.

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 […]

Interested in gaining research experience? Fascinated by eyewitness history? We’re looking for volunteers!

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program,which is one of the premiere oral history programs in the United States, houses over 500 oral history interviews within the African American History Project (AAHP). Join us in preparing for the unveiling of this collection, which will take place in Pugh Hall on March 21, 2019. Through participating in […]

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 […]

“Voices From The March” Students Fundraise to Perform at SOHA Conference

After headlining the 2018 UF Social Justice Summit this past January Voices from the March will be traveling to California this April to perform at the Southwest Oral History Association Annual Conference, hosted at California State University, Fullerton! Please help us raise money to assist in covering the travel and lodging costs for our cast. We have been working […]

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 […]

Telling Gainesville: A Film Screening

Please join military veterans and their families for a special Veterans Day film screening of the play “Telling Gainesville.” Telling Gainesville is part of a nationwide initiative by the National Endowment for the Humanities that connects civilian audiences with veterans in a creative, supportive environment. “Telling Gainesville” ran to standing-room- only audiences at the Actor’s […]

Voices from the March: A Multi-Media Experience

On January 27th, our Fall interns and staff will be performing an original multi-media play titled Voices from the March at the 2018 UF Social Justice Summit. A collaboration between the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and the Center for Women’s Studies, this verbatim theater piece compiles oral history narratives from the Women’s March on Washington as […]

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). […]

Florida Queer History: A Pride Extravaganza

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP)’s Florida Queer History Project is partnering with First Magnitude Brewing Company to bring you “A Pride Extravaganza” on October 15! The event will serve as a fundraiser for SPOHP’s Florida Queer History Project, which will be exhibiting a portrait and oral history interview series from their June 2017 […]

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 […]

Jeffrey Pufahl To Transform Interviews from the Women’s March on Washington Trip into a Play

We are thrilled to announce that our 2017-2018 visiting scholar is Jeffrey Pufahl, joining us from the UF College of the Arts (UF Center for Arts in Medicine). Currently, he is building on an existing partnership between SPOHP and the UF Center for Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies Research, to help students translate their collected research and interviews […]

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 Staff Visited Trinidad to Lay the Groundwork for our New Study Abroad Program

SPOHP staff members Anupa Kotipoyina and Krystal Dixon traveled to Trinidad the last week of July to meet with local historians and educators to map out a trajectory for a fieldwork-based Oral History study abroad program. A project conceived of and spear-headed by Anupa Kotipoyina, she reflected on this experience in the following statement:  “Many […]

Welcoming Gainesville Fall 2017 Civic Engagement Internship

Welcoming Gainesville is partnering with the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at UF to offer academic internships in using history to inform the creation of  programs aimed at combating prejudice, building a climate of welcome and support for immigrants, refugees, and international students, and helping them integrate into the local community. Interns will work directly […]

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 […]

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 […]

“La voz de experiencia: The voice of experience” Fall 2015 Documentary with SPN 3948 Now Available

Immigrants come to the United States for many reasons, for economic, political, and family reasons. Hence, they should not be viewed and a single entity, since each one has different circumstances and distinct goals. Some come legally and with economic resources, others do not. Some have university degrees, some are illiterate. There are those who […]

SPOHP Releases “Addiction in American Life” Transcripts and Podcasts

Gainesville, FL— “Addiction in American Life” resources are now available from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) online at the University of Florida Digital Collections. The transcripts and podcasts are the result of a semester’s work by SPOHP’s Spring 2015 undergraduate internship class to explore historians’ understanding of the complex phenomenon of addiction. SPOHP students conducted […]

Community Organizing in America, David Barsamian (COA-025)

David Barsamian created Alternative Radio to cover important stories neglected by mainstream media. In this podcast, he explains why he first pursued broadcasting, and how journalism can continue to be a source of social change. Topics include Alternative Radio, broadcasting, Armenian genocide, and using journalism to hold the government accountable. Created by Virginia Hamrick.

Documenting the Ethnic Studies Struggle through Oral History Field Work Trip: A Collaboration between Prescott College and the University of Florida

Press Release For Immediate Release Documenting the Ethnic Studies Struggle through Oral History Field Work Trip: A Collaboration between Prescott College and the University of Florida February 26, 2015, Throughout February 28 – March 8, 2015, students, staff and faculty from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) at the University of Florida will be visiting […]

March 5 Tucson Ethnic Studies Research Trip Panel Event: “Documenting the Ethnic Studies Struggles through Oral History” at Prescott College

Press Release For Immediate Release February 13, 2015, On March 5, 2015 at the Western Institute for Leadership Development at 6:00pm Prescott College and Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida will present the panel Documenting the Ethnic Studies Struggles through Oral History: A Conversation between Prescott College and the University of […]

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 […]

College of Journalism and Communications Students Share Oral Histories with Visual Storytelling Web Applications

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It only took an hour for College of Journalism and Communications undergrads taking part in an exercise during their Visual Journalism class to make history by setting a campus precedent: they were the first to ever create stories using visual storytelling web-based applications to share oral history interviews from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s archives. The […]

Oral Histories with Veterans Transform the Ways that Interns Study American History

Every semester, SPOHP’s interns are in some way touched by United States servicemen, past and present. Whether they transcribe a sixty-year-old recording with one of the last living Civil War veterans or talk with a former leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, UF undergraduates encounter the intense experiences of American veterans through oral history. […]

Oral history festival to be held in Mathews

“Oral history festival to be held in Mathews,” The Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal, October 8, 2014. The Virginia Fieldwork in Folklore research trip, organized by SPOHP graduate coordinator Jessica Taylor, was announced by The Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal, focusing on the Festival of Oral History and Folklore evening event at Mathews Memorial Library. The research trip to Virginia is supported by […]

Oral history project underway

“Oral history project underway,” by Sherry Hamilton, The Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal, September 3, 2014. In anticipation of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s annual Virginia Fieldwork in Folklore trip, The Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal wrote about earlier oral histories conducted in Mathews County by SPOHP graduate coordinator Jessica Taylor. Taylor’s interviews laid the groundwork for the October trip, which was conducted in […]

Inaugural SPOHP Folklore and History in Virginia Team to Launch in October

Gainesville, FL—From October 21-26, 2014, UF history students will travel to eastern Virginia to discuss folklore, traditional crafts, and rural development with residents of Mathews and Middlesex Counties. The inaugural trip will feature two oral history open houses in Virginia, a methods workshop, and an interdisciplinary panel open to the public. Oral history research conducted […]

Congratulations to Jeffrey Flanagan, SPOHP’s Volunteer of the Quarter for Summer 2014!

Jeffrey Flanagan, who has volunteered for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program through spring and summer 2014, recently completed a major project enabling SPOHP’s podcast collection to go online. He reviewed 50+ student and staff podcasts over years of SPOHP work, summarizing and organizing associated information to bring the podcasts online to the University of […]

March 12, 2014, “Scott Camil: Resistance & Liberation” Panel

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March 12, “Scott Camil: Resistance & Liberation” By Eugenia Hawk, Intern On March 12, 2014, SPOHP hosted a presentation by Vietnam veteran and political activist Scott Camil. The UF Center for Women’s Studies provided the beautiful Ustler Hall atrium, in which the demonstration took place, and by the time Camil began speaking, the entire room was packed […]

Congratulations to SPOHP’s 4 University Scholars!

This year, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program nominated four undergraduates for the UF University Scholars Program. This program recognizes outstanding undergraduate research and includes a monetary stipend to support the student’s senior thesis work. This year, all of the students that SPOHP nominated for USP received the award! Congratulations to our USP Fellows and their senior thesis research […]

Several give stark accounts of segregation-era racism

“Several give stark accounts of segregation-era racism,” The Gainesville Sun, by Jeff Schweers, March 12, 2014. The Gainesville Sun highlighted SPOHP’s public history program, “The Florida Civil Rights Struggle: Past & Present,” on March 12. The program featured four panelists: John Due, Dan Harmeling, Vivian Filer, and Rosemary Florence, civil rights activists looking back on […]

UF students get immersed in the history of civil rights

“UF students get immersed in the history of civil rights,” The Gainesville Sun, by Jeff Schweers, March 10, 2014. In preparation for the upcoming public history program, “The Florida Civil Rights Struggle: Past & Present,” on Wednesday, March 12, the Gainesville Sun highlighted student and staff work in civil rights research and event organizing. Featuring interviews with […]

Congratulations to Emily Nyren, SPOHP’s Volunteer of the Quarter for Spring 2014!

Emily Nyren, an intern alumni from Spring 2013, has volunteered for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program through summer and fall 2013, and now in her last semester at the University of Florida.  Emily writes for the Events and Public Programs Archive, recording SPOHP events in online features that include photo galleries and press coverage. She […]

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 […]

Meet Erin Conlin, a SPOHP Graduate Coordinator and visiting scholar at Concordia University

Erin Conlin, a PhD candidate in twentieth century U.S. History at the University of Florida, is a SPOHP Graduate Coordinator. She began working at SPOHP in Fall 2012 and is currently a visiting scholar at Concordia University’s Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling. As a Graduate Coordinator, Erin coordinated SPOHP’s academic internship in Fall […]

Events mark acquisition; UF celebrates Stetson Kennedy’s work

“Events mark acquisition; UF celebrates Stetson Kennedy’s work” The Gainesville Sun, by Jeff Schweers, October 23, 2013. On October 22, 2013, a symposium of events celebrated the donation of Stetson Kennedy’s papers to the University of Florida. At 6:00 p.m., a panel event featuring Dr. Marvin Dunn, Lucy Anne Hurston, and Dr. Peggy Bulger discussed the legacy […]

Calvin McGhee Cultural Authority of Poarch Creek Indians Utilizes Oral Histories from Partnership with SPOHP

Gainesville, FL—The Poarch Creek Project at the Samuel Project Oral History Program at the University of Florida, which focused on the digitization of oral histories conducted with the Poarch Creek Nation of Alabama in the 1970s, concluded in Summer 2013 with the successful transcribing of over 60 interviews. The oral histories were transferred to the […]

Groundswell.org: UF Oral History Program Digs Deep in the Delta

“UF Oral History Program Digs Deep in the Delta” from the Groundswell Blog, October 4, 2013. Groundswell: Oral History for Social Change is a dynamic, active network of oral historians, activists, cultural workers, community organizers, and documentary artists who are using oral history and narrative in creative, effective and ethical ways to support movement building […]

Oral History Association 47th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, OK

The Oral History Association‘s 47th Annual Meeting will take place this year at the historic Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The meeting is scheduled for October 9-13, 2013, focusing on the theme of “Hidden Stories, Contested Truths: The Craft of Oral History.” Each year, the Annual Meeting offers opportunities to learn, discuss, and review almost […]

UF’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrates Proyecto Algarabía

Proyecto Algarabía is UF Hispanic Heritage Month’s official philanthropy cause for 2013! The Hispanic Heritage Month is a series of events through the month of October celebrating Hispanic Heritage at the University of Florida. HHM’s fundraising and philanthropy efforts are dedicated this year to Proyecto Algarabía, in an effort to empower the youth of Latin […]

Oral History Reveals Courtship Strategies of Gloucester Youth in the 1940s and 50s

‘“The cool guys in Gloucester, the cool girls in Mathews”: Oral History Reveals Courtship Strategies of Gloucester Youth in the 1940s and 50s’ from the Fairfield Foundation. In August, The Fairfield Foundation wrapped up interviews for an oral history project directed by University of Florida graduate student and SPOHP Graduate Coordinator Jessica Taylor, aimed at recording […]

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 […]

Oral History Association 2014 Call for Papers: Madison, WI

“Oral History in Motion: Movements, Transformations, and the Power of Story” OHA Annual Meeting in Madison, WI, October 6-12, 2014 Deadline: February 1, 2014 Motion suggests many things: action and transformation; dynamism and fluidity; migration and the power to move. By its very nature, oral history is constantly in motion – in the evolving relationship […]

Sept. 17-22, The 6th Annual Mississippi Freedom Project Tour and Speaker Series

Gainesville, FL—During the week of September 17 through September 22, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) at UF will return to the Mississippi Delta to continue research on the civil rights movement in Mississippi with veteran civil rights activists and leading scholars of the Mississippi campaign for equal rights. SPOHP will bring a research […]