Mississippi Freedom Project Town Hall

Have you ever wondered how researchers collect primary historical evidence? Well at the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program we preserve history by interviewing the people who lived it!  

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program has been conducting experiential learning for sixteen years running through this 8-day and 7-night trip. Each of our 2023 students learned about the lives of activists, politicians, and community leaders in the Mississippi Delta by conducting oral history interviews. These stories revealed community-member’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement and an ongoing struggle against racial and economic inequality in the Delta. 

This year our students traveled through Pensacola, Florida where they learned about the impact of community organizing; Elaine, Arkansas to see how the Elaine Legacy Center continues to memorialize the 1919 Elaine Massacre; Glendora, Mississippi to learn how the murder of Emmett Till sparked the Civil Rights Movement; Tuskegee, Alabama to learn about the impact of historically black colleges and universities; and Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and Memorial for Peace and Justice. See what their fieldwork uncovered while they traveled through each location.