NRR Project: 'Voices from the Days of Slavery' (1932-1975)

 

NRR Project: ‘Voices from the Days of Slavery’

American Folklife Center

1932-1975

Another academic entry, but one that is still compelling. The American Folklife Center collected 24 recordings of the testimony of people who were slaves, recorded primarily through the years of 1932 to 1941. These interviews, some of which can be sampled online, are of variable audio quality. The Center transcribed the interviews as well, to overcome the limitations of the sound recordings included. You can listen to some here, and you can read the excellent explanatory essay by Ann Hoog here.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next up: FDR’s speeches.