https://archive.storycorps.org/communities/smyrna-black-history-month-2021/ (Getting Started PDF)

The City of Smyrna is trying a new program in honor of Black History month. As history is made all around us, all the time, it is important to record the stories of people in our communities about their life experiences.

An oral history interview can accomplish this – it is where an interviewer asks questions of two or more people and records the conversation that follows.

We would love for members of our Smyrna community to record some oral history interviews with their family, friends, and colleagues.

• Below are some guidelines on how to conduct a good oral history interview.
  • First, choose your interview subject. Ask them for their permission to interview and record them.
  • Decide in advance where you can conduct your interview: a quiet room where you will not be interrupted is best.
  • Write down some questions in advance that you can ask to get the conversation rolling.
  • Keep notes as you talk just in case your recording equipment fails; notes can also help you come up with follow- up questions or additional topics to bring up later.
  • Avoid dead-end questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”.
  • Ask follow-up questions which require your interviewee to be more descriptive or analytical, such as  “Tell me more” and “Describe what it was like” and “So why did this happen..” etc.
  • Be creative with your questions – there are no “bad” or “dumb” questions in oral history.
  • If your interview subject seems uncomfortable answering a question or talking about a certain topic, don’t push them. Move on to another question or topic. Treat your interview subject with respect – remember they are giving you their time to talk about matters personal to them.
  • Don’t be afraid to let the conversation drift into another area. You don’t need to keep strictly to your questions list; many times, important and interesting information comes out of an interview that you weren’t expecting.
  • When you start your interview, make sure to test your recording equipment and make sure it has plenty of power or battery life.
  • Record the date and location of your interview and your name as well as the names of all your interview subjects.
• You can download the StoryCorps app to create your profile, record interviews, and share them to the Smyrna Black History Month 2021 Community at https://archive.storycorps.org/communities/smyrna-black-history-month-2021/