Oral Histories

The Oral History Unit is currently collecting interviews on several projects illustrating a range of North Carolina’s history. 

The inaugural project, She Changed the World, showcased women past and present who achieved amazing feats in multiple disciplines. The collection is available through the North Carolina Digital Collections.

The Unit is also collecting interviews as part of the School Integration and Desegregation Oral History Project. This collection seeks to help understand school desegregation in the state after the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, with a focus on the African American perspective.[PA3.1] This collection features a subcollection of interviews aimed at documenting the history of segregated, African American schools – particularly Rosenwald Schools.

Through a collaboration between the American Indian Heritage Commission and the Oral History Unit, the State Archives has collected interviews from elders of nearly all state recognized tribes. The American Indian Heritage Commission along with the Oral History Unit secured funding from a federal grant to conduct additional interviews over a three-year period.

A selection of our projects include:

• American Indian Heritage Commission 
• COVID-19 Government Employees 
• School Integration and Desegregation
• She Changed the World
• Surfing at the Outer Banks
• Roanoke-Hatteras Tribe
• Private Collections Supplements
  • Morgan Family
• Intern-Led Projects
  • Textiles
  • Tobacco

In addition to the projects created within Special Collections Section, the Oral History Unit works with community members to serve as a consulting partner and repository for community-driven oral histories. 

A selection of community partners and community-led collections include: 

• Conversations in Black: African American History and Heritage, Greensboro, N.C.
• Facing East 158 Voices
• Neuse Library

How do I nominate myself or someone to be interviewed?

If you or someone you know would be a good fit for these projects or any of our other oral history projects please contact the oral historian, John Horan, at john.horan@dncr.nc.gov or (919) 814-6847.

One of the things that makes oral history valuable is that it adds diverse voices to the historical context. Narrators share their experiences of historic events and topics. No two stories are alike. Just as the Oral History Unit strives to include a multitude of narratives, the State Archives aims to make these resources as widely available as possible.

To access oral histories, please search our online catalog or browse through this listing. Select oral histories are available for streaming online. Otherwise, please contact the oral historian or join us in the Search Room at the State Archives where a reference archivist will be happy to assist you.

If you or your organization would like to work with the Oral History Unit at the State Archives of North Carolina, there are several avenues to explore.

Consulting for oral history projects

To help with project planning or to help get your project off the ground, the Oral History Unit can provide the following:

• Interview training (how to conduct interviews, develop good questions, create a workflow)
• Equipment recommendations
• Non-legal advice on copyright and legal releases
• Guidance on preservation and storage standards
• Guidance on methods of access

To request a consultation, contact the oral historian.

Partnering with SANC as an official repository for your current/ongoing project

The SANC would be honored to be considered as the formal repository for materials that your project produces. Generally speaking, partnering with the State Archives in this capacity will mean that SANC is agreeing to preserve and store your oral history interviews according to accepted professional archival standards and to provide access to these interviews in compliance with State Archives best practices. In order to agree to partner as a repository for a current or ongoing project, SANC considers three important factors:

1. Does the project/collection fit the State Archives Special Collections Section collecting scope?
2. What rights will the State Archives be given to the materials?
3. Does the State Archives have the capacity to maintain this collection? Will the material be formatted to meet State Archives standards?

The process for partnering should begin with a conversation with the oral historian about the project proposal.

Donating completed interviews/collections to the SANC OH Unit

If you are looking for a repository for your already completed interview(s) or collection(s), please consider the State Archives. The State Archives’ decision to accept donated materials is based on the same three factors listed above: 

• Does the project/collection fit the State Archives Special Collections Section collecting scope?; 
• What rights will the State Archives be given to the materials?; 
• Does the State Archives have the capacity to maintain this collection?; and 
• Will the material be formatted to meet State Archives standards?

The process to donate your materials begins with a conversation with the oral historian in which you will be asked to describe your interview(s)/collection(s). Based on that initial conversation, the oral historian may ask you to fill out a form that describes your potential donation in detail. With the detailed information about the materials, the Oral Historian will verify that the donation meets SANC standards and is suitable for acceptance into the State Archives collection. If the material is deemed suitable, both parties will sign a deed of gift.

If you have questions or would like more information about the State Archives Oral History Unit, contact John Horan, john.horan@dncr.nc.gov or (919) 814-6847.