UNIVERSITY NEWS - OCTOBER 2003

MEDIA CONTACT: Randy Goin, Jr.
954-762-5275, rgoin@fau.edu

FAU Writer-in-Residence Promotes Cultural Heritage
through Oral History Seminar

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (October 24, 2003) - South Florida residents interested in preserving the rich history of their cultures, from family stories and community life, to memories of migrating from the old home to the new, can learn how with the help of Florida Atlantic University.

FAU professor, writer-in-residence, and oral historian Kitty Oliver, will offer her own brand of community historical preservation through the Lift Every Voice Writing Project, teaching individuals how to collect oral histories. Funded by a Florida Humanities Council fellowship, Oliver will conduct a free workshop Saturday, November 15 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale. Participants will learn how to interview others, probe for culturally significant details and record their findings for an archive that will be maintained at the center.

"Portrayals of the everyday lives of minorities, in particular, are sorely missing from our archives and we have the new element of immigrants from throughout the Caribbean who have become a major force now," said Oliver. "This is a pivotal time in history, and we must preserve some of those memories of island life and adjusting to the U.S. in a professional manner. Our youth can benefit from this living history; the more stories we share the more we see how we can come together."

Oliver is a veteran South Florida journalist and author of Voices of America: Race and Change in Hollywood, Florida, a collection of oral histories on race relations with a companion video and teacher's guide that are used in the public schools. She has also conducted oral history projects along the North Fork of the New River in Fort Lauderdale and in the Lake Okeechobee communities of Belle Glade and South Bay with the help of FAU students. The interviews are in Special Collections at the AARLCC.

The November 15 workshop is open to the public, but space is limited. Individuals who want to participate should call the AARLCC, 954-625-2811 to register. This workshop is a part of the Lift Every Voice Writing Project, which will offer future presentations on oral history and autobiographical writing for adults and students. For more information, contact Oliver at 954-236-1145.
- FAU -