Oral history is a universal form of storytelling. For many years, Voice of Witness has shared powerful stories of people impacted by injustice with a broad audience of readers. Say It Forward extends this work, offering a DIY guide for social justice storytelling that outlines the critical methodology at the core of Voice of Witness's evocative oral history collections. Field reports candidly detail how to harness the power of personal narrative to expose larger issues of inequality.
Introduction: Making the Invisible Visible
Section One: Conducting Community Oral Histories: Approaches, Methodologies, and Ethics
History on a Human Scale
Types of Oral Histories
Historical or Cultural Memory Transfer
Community or Neighborhood History
Addressing Injustice or Seeking Change through Oral History
Oral History in Educational Settings
Essential Questions and Ethics
Oral History: An "Experiment in Equality"
Why Should I Share My Story with You? Ownership, Identity, and Storytelling
How Do I Find Narrators for my Oral History Project?
Creating Safe/Brave Spaces for Sharing Stories
Protecting Narrator Safety
Power, Privilege, and Representation in Oral History
Outsider/Insider Dynamics
Changing Directions in Oral History Projects
Editing Oral History Transcripts: Honoring Your Narrator's Voice
Self Care, Compassion Fatigue, and Developing a Capacity to Listen to Difficult Stories
Section Two: Community Oral History Case Studies
A Note on the Case Studies
Behind the Wire: Mandatory Detention in Australia by Andre Dao and Sienna Merope
OG Told Me by Pendarvis Harshaw
After the Disaster: Rebuilding Lives and Communities in Fukushima by Jon Funabiki
Re-entry Stories: Life after Prison and Jail by Claire Kiefer
Unsettled: Relocating After Katrina by Eric Marshall
Our Town, Our Stories by Cliff Mayotte
Resilience: Elders in East Harlem by Lauren Taylor
DREAMers Testimoniando by Shelby Pasell
Tales of Tar Sands Resistance by Stephanie G. Thomas
Cycles of Domestic Violence by Ashley Jacobs 225
Project LRN (Listening to Residents and Neighbors) by Genevra Gallo-Bayiates
Long Live The King: Fishing in Santa Cruz Harbor by Katie Kuszmar
Section Three: Community Storytelling and Oral History Resources
Getting Started: A Quick Guide to Setting up Your Oral History Project
Media Options for Sharing Stories
Oral History Resources
Trauma & Self-Care Resources
Acknowledgements
About Voice of Witness
About the Editors/ About the Contributors
