Wa Na Wari and the Shelf Life Community Story Project are launching the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute, a pilot oral history / community story training program. In 2021, a six-person cohort will explore the ethics, techniques, best practices, tensions, and dilemmas of oral history. The cohort will then practice their new skills by conducting oral history interviews with local community members around three topics. Upon completion of the Institute, cohort members will receive compensation of $4,000 and a certificate of completion.
Why oral history and why now?
The Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute is one way, among many, that Wa Na Wari seeks to build collective power towards a future of Black ownership and belonging by rooting our work in a legacy of Black resilience, creativity, and self-determination. Training community members in the techniques and best practices of Black memory work is an important step towards shifting power around whose stories are told, how they’re told, and what place those stories hold in the shaping of Black futures.
“It’s really important for us to create a Black-centered space where people feel safe and welcome, and to be their full selves, but also to have a place that holds memory, for what the community was, but also for what we think the community can be.” Elisheba Johnson
The Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute is one way, among many, that Wa Na Wari seeks to build collective power towards a future of Black ownership and belonging by rooting our work in a legacy of Black resilience, creativity, and self-determination. Training community members in the techniques and best practices of Black memory work is an important step towards shifting power around whose stories are told, how they’re told, and what place those stories hold in the shaping of Black futures.
“It’s really important for us to create a Black-centered space where people feel safe and welcome, and to be their full selves, but also to have a place that holds memory, for what the community was, but also for what we think the community can be.” Elisheba Johnson
Application deadline: 11:59pm (PST) March, 31st, 2021
The program is divided into three phases
In Phase One (May-June), cohort members will attend weekly (virtual) class sessions during which (primarily) Black practitioners of oral history, Black memory work, and community story projects will visit as guest faculty from across the country.
In Phase Two (July – October), cohort members, together with a mentor from Wa Na Wari and/or Shelf Life, will arrange and conduct (remote) oral history interviews.
In Phase Three (October-December), cohort members will log and transcribe interviews and evaluate the lessons learned during this pilot.
Time commitment and expectations:
Phase One May –June
2-3 hours of reading, research, listening, and viewing homework per week.
2.5 hour class session per week (Thursday evenings)
Phase Two July – October
2-3 hours per week of interview prep work: research, contacting and scheduling community members, choosing topics and questions for interviews.
2-3 interviews per month. Each interview 60-90 minutes.
Phase Three October – December
2-3 hours per week archiving, transcribing, evaluating interviews.
Schedule:
Phase One:
Class sessions are on Thursday evenings, from 6pm-8:30pm PST
May 6th
May 13th
May 20th
May 27th
June 3rd
June 10th
June 17th
June 24th
Phase Two:
Cohort members will break into teams of two and schedule interviews around their own schedules and those of the people they are interviewing. Each cohort team will be expected to complete at least 2-3 interviews per month. Each interview lasting 60-90 minutes. Each interview will require 1-2 hours of prep – coming up with questions, testing equipment and software, etc.
Phase Three:
Cohort members will work at their own pace and/or with the other cohort members in the team, as their schedule allows.
COVID: For the time being, The Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute will conduct all class sessions and interviews remotely. Cohort members will be trained in the technical aspects of conducting remote interviews and will be provided with necessary software and equipment. If, as the situation with COVID-19 evolves, we deem it safe to meet in person and/or conduct interviews in person, we will decide the details at that time.
The program is divided into three phases
In Phase One (May-June), cohort members will attend weekly (virtual) class sessions during which (primarily) Black practitioners of oral history, Black memory work, and community story projects will visit as guest faculty from across the country.
In Phase Two (July – October), cohort members, together with a mentor from Wa Na Wari and/or Shelf Life, will arrange and conduct (remote) oral history interviews.
In Phase Three (October-December), cohort members will log and transcribe interviews and evaluate the lessons learned during this pilot.
Time commitment and expectations:
Phase One May –June
2-3 hours of reading, research, listening, and viewing homework per week.
2.5 hour class session per week (Thursday evenings)
Phase Two July – October
2-3 hours per week of interview prep work: research, contacting and scheduling community members, choosing topics and questions for interviews.
2-3 interviews per month. Each interview 60-90 minutes.
Phase Three October – December
2-3 hours per week archiving, transcribing, evaluating interviews.
Schedule:
Phase One:
Class sessions are on Thursday evenings, from 6pm-8:30pm PST
May 6th
May 13th
May 20th
May 27th
June 3rd
June 10th
June 17th
June 24th
Phase Two:
Cohort members will break into teams of two and schedule interviews around their own schedules and those of the people they are interviewing. Each cohort team will be expected to complete at least 2-3 interviews per month. Each interview lasting 60-90 minutes. Each interview will require 1-2 hours of prep – coming up with questions, testing equipment and software, etc.
Phase Three:
Cohort members will work at their own pace and/or with the other cohort members in the team, as their schedule allows.
COVID: For the time being, The Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute will conduct all class sessions and interviews remotely. Cohort members will be trained in the technical aspects of conducting remote interviews and will be provided with necessary software and equipment. If, as the situation with COVID-19 evolves, we deem it safe to meet in person and/or conduct interviews in person, we will decide the details at that time.
Compensation:
Upon completion, each cohort member will receive a $4,000 stipend and certificate of completion.
$2,000 upon completion of Phase One
$1,000 upon completion of Phase Two
$1,000 upon completion of Phase Three
Cohort members will sign a contract detailing the requirements for getting paid and receiving their certificate of completion.
Cohort members will be expected to:
Respect guest faculty by attending all class sessions having completed assigned reading/listening/viewing ahead of time.
Respect community members and mentors by arriving at all scheduled (remote) interviews on time having prepared their inquiry and questions ahead of time.
Upon completion, each cohort member will receive a $4,000 stipend and certificate of completion.
$2,000 upon completion of Phase One
$1,000 upon completion of Phase Two
$1,000 upon completion of Phase Three
Cohort members will sign a contract detailing the requirements for getting paid and receiving their certificate of completion.
Cohort members will be expected to:
Respect guest faculty by attending all class sessions having completed assigned reading/listening/viewing ahead of time.
Respect community members and mentors by arriving at all scheduled (remote) interviews on time having prepared their inquiry and questions ahead of time.
Other relevant information: This is a pilot, in the middle of a pandemic. We expect to make lots of mistakes. We anticipate having to change course, back up, try again, and learn as we go. We hope the lessons we learn from this pilot will inform future iterations, and that the next time we do this, we will do it in person.
Topics
We have tentatively determined that the three topics this pilot will explore through oral history interviews are:
Black educators
Black barbers and beauticians
The Black waterfront
It’s possible all or one of these topics could change before or during Phase One of the Institute.
Applicants should:
- Be 18 or over.
- Have a strong connection to Seattle’s Central District, south end, and/or Black Seattle.
- Be able to commit to attending all class sessions in Phase One and can realistically meet the schedule demands for Phase Two and Three (see schedule).
- Have a base understanding of how race, class, gender identity, ethnicity, education, sexual identity, ability, immigration status, and faith shape society, shape personal and collective experiences, and shape relationships.
- Be enthusiastic about approaching community story / oral history work within an anti-oppression / social justice framework, both in how cohort members interact with each other, and in how cohort members approach interviews with community members.
- Have access to a quiet place from which to conduct remote interviews (with reliable internet access), and a laptop with an updated browser (Wa Na Wari can work with cohort members to address access issues relating to space, connectivity, and/or equipment).