Episode 3: Why Haven't We Written Down Our Family's Oral Histories?
Weeping willows, a beautiful part of the South Alabama landscapes. South Alabama is an important part of my family's oral history. They do it all the time, MawMaw and PawPaw...talking, rambling, sharing words of wisdom, telling stories that crack us up or horrify us entirely. And we listen. Or we tolerate, absorb, laugh, or shudder. But most importantly - we end up missing all of those stories the moment they are no longer with us. In the African American community - and many communities across the country - oral history is embedded in the fabric of our culture. It's a longheld tradition we've inherited from ancestors who walked the earth thousands of years ago. And for that reason alone, it must continue. Still...we need to start wrting things down. Because memories fade, or get questioned and challenged. But if we had the written proof of at least our point of view, we'd have something tangible to support those memories and keep them fresh and refreshed. Even if we...
