Special Collections Oral History Interviews

The collections of oral histories were conducted by students in Dr. Erin McCarthy's course Oral History: The Art of the Interview at Columbia College Chicago.

Chicago 1968 conducted in collaboration with the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago includes interviews with religious activists who participated in seminal events during the year 1968 in Chicago. These interviews support the NCCJ Collection, part of the special collections holdings at the college.

Chicago Anti Apartheid Movement, conducted in collaboration with donors to the Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement Collections, include interviews chronicling the work of Chicago activists engaged in the struggle against apartheid in Southern Africa. These interviews support the Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement special collections holdings at the college.

These interviews were conducted using the : Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model: While traditional oral history focuses on the individual interviewer and narrator, this model relies on collaboration between oral history faculty and the College Archives and Special Collections. Key components include core interview questions, a digital interview portfolio, and a method to access the oral histories for wide access and use by researchers.