Oral History Programs
The National Public Housing Museum believes that storytelling is a potent social and civic tool. We strive to harness the power of narrative for social impact through our Oral History Programs. We embrace oral history as an accessible and adaptable history-making practice for all ages and backgrounds.
Learning Justice-Centered Oral History
The Beauty Turner Academy of Oral History
The Beauty Turner Academy strives to diversify the workforce of historians, documentarians, and memory workers by providing accessible oral and narrative history training to current and former public housing residents. We envision a world where residents are empowered to document, preserve, share, and celebrate narrative histories from their perspectives—the people who call public housing home.
Ms. Beauty Turner, c. 2008Lies will lean, tumble, and fall, but the truth will continue to stand tall amidst the demolition of public housing.
Public Oral History Archive
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Interview E. Dantés Hamilton
Listen to Mr. Danté, a member of NPHM’s E-Hub, reflect on his time at Garden Valley Estates Public Housing in Cleveland, OH.
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Interview Janetta Pegues
Listen to Janetta reflect on her time in “The Village,” aka ABLA Homes.
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Interview Dr. Timuel Black Interview 1
Listen to Dr. Timuel Black reflect on his life, from his birth in Birmingham, AL, to growing up in Chicago and his career as an oral historian.
Interested in sharing your community’s or your own stories of public housing?
Activating the Archive
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Podcast series Out of the Archives Podcast Series
Our flagship oral history-based podcast shares the stories and voices of public housing residents from across the country. Out of the Archives includes more than 20 episodes, organized by 3 seasons, each showcasing a different curatorial approach, including episodes curated around a unique theme such as sports and recreation or entrepreneurship; as well as more free-form approaches; and even select redux episodes that remix past episodes with additional historical context.
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Blog Collage A floor plan for the heart: The Beauty Turner Academy 2023 Mixtape
What comes to mind when asked the question, “What does home mean to you?”? Written, produced, and edited by Cosmo, jellystone, and Nedra, the first cohort of Beauty Turner Academy Archive & Activate Apprentices, this is a floor plan for the heart.
Oral History Resources
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Care Resource Trauma Informed Care & Aftercare
Oral history interviews sometimes venture into painful areas of one’s life story. This is all the more common for narrators who hold marginalized identities. Check out these resources and tips for conducting interviews with a trauma-informed lens, from Beauty Turner Academy graduate Ammie Kae Brooks and Educational Coordinator Noor Alzamami.
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Learning Resource BTA Workbook
Download the full Beauty Turner Academy of Oral History Training Workbook! In it, you’ll find resources and exercises to begin or deepen your memory work practice. Developed and printed after our first full cohort (2023).
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Oral History Resource Policies, Best Practices, & Beyond
Our archival policies and best practices and steered, shaped, and written by a Working Group of public housing residents and close community members, many of whom have been trained in oral history at NPHM. Learn more about how these polices and practices shape the archive.
Meet our Oral History Collective, Mentors, Educators, and Advisors
The Oral History Programs are generously supported by the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Contact Us
Please email NPHM Oral History Programs Manager, Liú Chen, with any questions, concerns, or if you’re interested in getting involved.
