Oral History Association Annual Meeting
Sing It Out, Shout It Out, Say It Out Loud: Giving Voice through Oral History
Voices raised in song, in anger, in celebration, in protest, in joy, in memoriam–all have been gathered by oral historians in the course of their work. Over the years the methodology of oral history has given voice to many different individuals from diverse communities and locations around the globe. They have had microphones set in front of them, and they have been given a chance to have their say, say their piece, speak their minds, and put in their two cents’ worth. In some instances the chroniclers have been interviewed before, by journalists or other members of the media, but in other cases, an oral history interview was the first time anyone outside a narrator’s circle of family or friends had asked for his or her perspective. Oral history makes a difference by gathering up all of these disparate voices and making them accessible as a larger chorus, whether through traditional archives, online databases, books, museum exhibits, theater performances, documentaries, radio broadcasts, podcasts, or blogs. The 2012 OHA meeting will focus not only on the many ways that people express themselves within oral histories, but also the ways in which people craft existing oral histories into other means of expression.
In 2012, Cleveland will serve as the host for the OHA meetings, and it is a perfect location since it represents so many facets of the conference theme. Cleveland is an industrialized, working-class city, with the region surrounding it encompassing everything from other urban areas to rural mining and farming communities, and all have seen their share of protests (civil rights, anti-war, and labor). And just as there is a tradition of protest, there is also an equally strong–and very often intertwined—tradition of music and performance, with Appalachian music from one direction, eastern European music from another, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame standing firmly on the shores of Lake Erie. In addition, oral history practitioners in the area are finding new and interesting ways to make their interviews accessible to a broader public audience. We welcome and encourage the oral historians in Cleveland and the surrounding area to submit papers and proposals, regardless of how directly their projects align with this year’s theme.
As with all previous OHA meetings, the Program Committee welcomes broad and diverse interpretations of the conference theme as reflected in proposals for panels, individual papers, performances, exhibits, and roundtables. In the spirit of the theme, we especially encourage presenters to think about nontraditional delivery models, such as interactive sessions, dialogic formats that engage audiences, and use of digital media.
Presenters are reminded to incorporate voice and image in their presentations. OHA is open to proposals from the variety of fields traditionally represented in our meetings, including, but not limited to, history, folklore, literature, sociology, anthropology, American and ethnic studies, cultural studies, gender studies, political science, information science and technology, communications, and urban studies.
In recognition of the important work occurring outside the United States, we also hope to have a significant international presence at the meeting. And, as always, OHA welcomes proposals from independent scholars, community activists and organizers, archivists, librarians, museum curators, web designers, documentary producers, media artists, ethnographers, public historians, and all practitioners whose work is relevant to this meeting’s focus on giving voice.
