Springfield AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY FOUNDATION

Established in 2003, the Springfield, Illinois African American History Foundation (SAAHF) seeks to record the history of African American families who have lived in the Springfield area for several generations. Numerous volunteers were recruited during the early days of the organization and were trained in oral history techniques. Following this training, volunteers began to identify and record interviews of selected community residents. This interview project continues. As interviews are completed, the tapes are donated to the Audio-Visual Department of the ALPLM. Transcriptions of these tapes have been completed as time and funding permits. Tapes that have not yet been transcribed or digitized for access on the Web, are available in the Library Audio-Visual Department.

The tapes provide insight into life in the African American community and include discussions of family life, civil rights, discrimination, integration, and segregation in the workplace and educational community. Residents involved in the Springfield school desegregation suit are interviewed. Life in the military, in the days before and following integration, is also discussed. Attention is also given to the variety of businesses that were owned and operated by African Americans. interviewees include former teachers, community and religious leaders, as well as business men and women. Life in both rural and small towns, as well as life in large and small cities is discussed in the interviews.

Acknowledgments: Funding for transcriptions has been provided by the SAAHF, the Sangamon County Community Foundation, and the Illinois Humanities Council.