How can we truly listen? How can we ensure the stories we capture are both authentic and accessible?
These are the questions driving the Oral History Archives at Columbia’s latest display, DO BETTER: Reflexively + Critically Encountering Oral History Methods. Join us as we embark on a journey through the evolution of oral history, challenging its foundations and envisioning its future.
For decades, oral history has been a powerful tool for preserving voices and perspectives often overlooked in traditional historical narratives. Born in 1958, the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University played a pivotal role in establishing this practice as a legitimate form of historical research. But as with any institution, it’s crucial to ask: What have we learned? And how can we do better?
Early oral history at Columbia, while groundbreaking, often centered on the voices of “captains of industry”—predominantly white and male. The promise of edited narratives and a place in the university library shaped the stories told. But what about the voices that were missing? What about the power dynamics at play?
DO BETTER invites you to critically examine Columbia’s influence on the field, tracing its evolution through the Oral History Research Office, the Columbia Center for Oral History, and the Oral History Archives at Columbia. We delve into six key areas where Columbia’s practices have set standards, and we challenge you to consider:
- Collecting: How can we ensure diverse voices are represented?
- Consent: How can we truly honor the agency of narrators?
- Transcription: How can we move beyond simply capturing words to capturing meaning?
- Access: How can we make these invaluable stories accessible to all?
- Legacy: What is the true meaning of preserving a story for future generations?
- Ethics: How can we navigate the complex ethical considerations inherent in oral history, including the new challenges of artificial “intelligence”?
This exhibition isn’t just a retrospective. It’s a call to action. We ask you to consider:
- How have narrators and practitioners challenged institutional practices?
- What is the lasting impact of Columbia’s methodologies in the field, nationally and internationally?
- How can institutions, communities, and individual practitioners improve the collection, preservation, and accessibility of oral histories?
Oral history is a living, breathing practice. It must evolve to remain relevant. DO BETTER challenges us to confront our past, engage with our present, and reimagine the future of oral history.
Join us in exploring the critical questions: Where, how, and why should oral historians do better?
Come and be a part of the conversation. Discover the past, engage with the present, and help shape the future of oral history.