Maryland Tourism Launches Interview Project
Oral-History Training in Dorchester and Caroline Counties
Free, Open to the Public
BALTIMORE (Oct. 13, 2010) – Share your story, make a connection, learn about Maryland's rich heritage by participating in oral-history workshops next month in Dorchester and Caroline counties.
The Maryland Office of Tourism Development –in partnership with Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African-American History and Culture, Maryland Park Service, and the tourism offices of Caroline and Dorchester counties – will offer residents an opportunity to document and preserve the oral traditions that have been passed down through generations on the Eastern Shore.
“Now's the time to tell your stories,” said Amanda Fenstermaker, director for the Dorchester County Department of Tourism. “Through this interview project residents will have a chance to record their stories for posterity, teach others about the community's legacy and make the landscape of the Eastern Shore come alive while sharing the rich traditions and heritage of stories told for generations.”
Representatives of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum will facilitate two sessions. Each session will provide oral-history interviewing techniques that include preparing for the interview, conducting background research, composing interview questions, release forms and completing the assignment.
The sessions which are free and open to the public, take place at these locations:
|
Monday, November 8
6:30 – 9 p.m.
Museum of Rural Life
16 N 2nd St.
Denton, MD 21629-1004
For registration contact:
Kathy Mackel at 410-479-0655 |
Saturday, November 13
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Chesapeake College Cambridge Center
416 – 418 Race St., Room 101
Cambridge, MD 21613
For registration contact :
Amanda Fenstermaker at 410-228-1000 |
Volunteers who receive this training will then be asked to conduct interviews of Caroline and Dorchester county residents with stories related to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and antebellum and post-Civil War life on the Eastern Shore. The interviews may be included in interpretive exhibits at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, on the park's web site, in an archive at the park's library, or in an audio tour for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
“Our goal is to have residents of these Eastern Shore communities partner in the preservation of the memories of families with significant roots in the region ,” added Kathy Mackel, director for the Caroline County Office of Tourism.
The training will also be useful for residents and organizations who would like to conduct their own oral-history interviews for family history and organizational projects.
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