CLARKSVILLE, TN – Fort Defiance Interpretive Center will host guest speaker Jason McGowan as he presents “The Importance of Oral Histories” at 11 a.m. Saturday.
McGowan is a research associate with Middle Tennessee State University’s Albert Gore Research Center. At the event, he will explain why oral histories are so important for historians to understand past events.
McGowan believes everyone has a story to tell, and often these stories help historians understand events of the past on a more personal level. McGowan will also describe his current project and look for volunteers to participate in his research.
Telling Tennessee’s history
The speech is part of the Middle Tennessee African American Oral History Project. This project’s goal is to assemble and preserve a vast collection of local African American history via various interviews that chronicle the lives and diverse experiences of African Americans who resided, worked, or went to school in Middle Tennessee during legal segregation or through the implementation of integration.
This archive will also serve as a permanent celebration of African American families, communities, and achievements in Middle Tennessee. This project is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This is a free event that is open to the public.
For information about Fort Defiance visit ClarksvilleParkRec.com or call 931-645-7476.