Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Online

Oral History Project

Documenting the Civil Rights Movement

Since 1994, BCRI has conducted and preserved over 400 interviews with Movement participants, community members, businesspersons and elected officials.

< Project Director, Dr. Horace Huntley (l) interviews Movement participant Theodore Hendricks (r).

Transcripts, Video & Audio recordings
Oral History Project interviews are available to the public in a variety of formats, including print transcripts, video recordings, and audio tape recordings. Go to the Online Resource Gallery to view video clips, or visit the BCRI Archives in person to access this vast collection of stories that document social change in Birmingham and the U.S. South during the 20th century.

On-going Project
The BCRI Oral History Project is an on-going initiative of the BCRI Archives. Project Director and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty member, Dr. Horace Huntley, conducts interviews on a continual basis while also working on manuscript compilations of selected interviews on a variety of topics.

Project Support We thank The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Alabama Power Company and BellSouth for funding that enabled purchase of broadcast-quality video equipment now used in filming all Oral History Project interviews. We also thank the Coco-Cola Foundation for a grant (February 2007) that will help take the Oral History Project global!

What is Oral History?

Oral history is the oldest form of gathering and preserving memories of the past. The carrier of the historical tradition in the ancient African empire of Mali was the griot. Today, oral history is accomplished by finding individuals who are willing to share their stories in formal interview settings that are recorded for posterity.

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